New Beginnings
by Laurien117
Summary: It probably won't ever be made, but imagine Angel Season Six and go from there. Angel and Spike have fallen into sme sort of mundane routine at Wolfram and Hart, Spike isn't pleased, Angel's brooding, things change. The perfect set up! If i do say so myse
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One – A Dark Alley and a Not So Sneaky Stalker. 

The figure moved, stalking his prey, keeping to the shadows. The alley was dark, darker than most, even in this part of town. Not even the demons ventured into this forsaken place.

Well, except for one.

The darkness of his surroundings were no inconvenience for this creature. The night was where he belonged. Where he could move quickly, quietly, without being heard or seen. He could follow the object of his attention all night without ever being noticed, not until he wanted to make his move. He would wait, until the time was right, when-

"Spike, are you planning on sneaking along behind me all night or just until I get bored and stake you?"

Stepping out of the shadows, a frown firmly planted on his mouth, the fallen master of sneakiness 'let' himself be seen.

"Bugger. How long did y' know?"

"About ten minutes. So are you going to let me get on with this now or are we going to spend all night playing Marco Polo?"

"Ooh! Looks who's all Mr 'Snappy-and-Broodish' tonight. Sorry Peaches, didn't realise there were laws against taking an evening constitutional," said Spike, casually lighting up a cigarette.

"There should be, when it comes to you and annoying me. And I am not brooding," groused Angel. "Now, go away."

"But it's fun!" Spike said with a confident smirk. "'S th' only thing left to do 'round here," he added in a low grumble.

Not low enough however, as it earned a sideways scowl from the subject of his 'fun'.

"Well, it's true! You're all 'sit in the office and count pencils' guy these days. Leave the obliteration of evil to the minions," Spike said, falling into step next to Angel.

The two continued to walk in silence, following the alleys around L.A's factory district. Eventually, however, the quiet became too much for Spike.

"So what we doin' here anyway? Makin' sure no one's stolen the lead off the roofs? Or protecting innocent industrial machinery perhaps?" After an irritated growl from Angel; " Oh come on, we've been walking around here for hours! Ok, minutes, but isn't this what you pay people to do?"

In a low tone, evidently straining to retain the last of his patience, Angel answered. "I didn't ask you to come along. But, as I don't see any chance of you going away-"

"Nope!"

"-I'll tell you. We are here because I gave Gunn, Wesley and Fred the night off and I don't trust any of the people I employ to do this."

"Right. Evil law firm. Got it," said Spike, then continued walking. The silence lasted about five seconds before, "So why am I here?"

Angel sighed and wondered if putting up with Spike was part of his eternal retribution, but said nothing.

-:-

Ten minutes later the two souled vampires walked into a building, which to Spike looked like every other abandoned warehouse he'd seen that night, until he saw what was sprawled across the floor.

"Bloody hell," he whispered.

Angel shushed him with a hand movement and quietly moved around the giant snake demon that was coiled, asleep, in front of the door.

Moving into the derelict, partitioned office, Angel and the latest addition to the Fang Gang stopped.

"So, what're we looking for then?" asked Spike in hushed tones.

"Ssh! Do you want to wake that up?"

"Fully grown Xelic demon?" Spike paused. "Nah, I'll pass."

"Right. So keep quiet and help me look," commanded Angel.

"Well it would help if I knew what I was looking for," said Spike, not moving from where he stood next to the door.

"Whatever the Xelic is protecting," said Angel, searching through a file cabinet.

Shrugging, Spike turned to look briefly through the cupboard next to him. Finding nothing but some old file paper and a pack of smokes (pocketing the latter), he turned to the next chest of draws.

Angel, meanwhile, was having similar luck, looking through every storage unit in the office but finding nothing. Just as they were about to give up, both Angel and Spike simultaneously came to the picture on the wall.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me. Nobody would be that obvious…would they?" Spike asked.

"Well, only one way to find out," said Angel, reaching over to lift the frame from the wall. As it moved aside, the cracked and broken painting revealed hidden behind it… TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Snake Bad, Tree Pretty.

Nothing.

"Wow. And to think I stayed up to see a whole bunch of nothing," quipped Spike, pulling a newly acquired smoke from his pocket and putting it in his mouth. "Everyone's gonna be real pissed they missed this. And here I was thinking jewels, gold, some evil mojo jobby for the destruction of all life..." he continued.

However, Angel wasn't listening to Spike's ongoing litany. Instead his attention was focussed on the small raised section on the back of the picture board. He tried, with no success, to remove the paper backing. Deciding to take a different course of action, he grasped the picture in his hand and brought it down hard against the edge of the table, destroying the frame.

This broke Spike out of his engrossed rambling, pacing and emphatic hand waving. "Bloody Hell! What did art ever do to you?"

Once again ignoring Spike, Angel bent down to pick up the small square that now lay amid the debris on the floor. After unfolding the...whatever it was ...Angel pocketed his latest find and walked past a stunned Spike and out of the office.

"Wh-" said Spike, doing a rapid double take as Angel rushed past him. "What now?"

"We've got what we came for," said an ever laconic Angel.

"Oh, that's nice," said Spike sarcastically, "but what is it?"

Angel said nothing as he walked, with Spike keeping pace behind him, back across the empty factory floor.

Almost empty factory floor.

"Angel, what did you find?" Spike stopped in his tracks as Angel suddenly turned to face him with an expression of barely suppressed frustration.

"Spike," hissed Angel. "Remember the little talk about the angry snake demon?"

"Yeah," said Spike, his attention drawn to over Angel's right shoulder.

"Well, hows about keeping the noise down then?"

"Honestly, mate, I don't think that's going to be an issue," he said, wide eyed.

Angel, realising Spike's attention was elsewhere, turned to have his view completely filled by a very big and very pissed off Xelic demon. It blinked it's huge amber eyes and stared down intently at the two intruders.

"You bring any weapons?" asked Spike, keeping his sights firmly on the demon.

"Well I wasn't really planning on fighting," said Angel, trying to vent his anger through sarcasm towards his unwanted companion.

"This should be interestin' then," said Spike, suddenly running full speed towards the Xelic.

The demon reared it's head back, prepared to strike and just as its huge jaws descended on the vampire, Spike ducked and rolled behind Xelic at the last moment, disappearing out of sight.

Now only having one object to focus on, the serpent began to move towards Angel with a slow, confident malice immediately recognisable by any small, furry animal as 'Immediate death scenario'.

Angel stood his ground, transforming into his demon visage. Just as the Xelic came into striking distance, Angel rolled to the side, throwing the snake off balance.

He searched the factory for something he could use as a weapon. The only available object was a metal pole a few feet away. Grabbing it and gracefully guiding the staff in a swift arc, Angel hit the demon hard across the head. The Xelic was not deterred, as it continued to move towards the vampire.

After several ineffectual blows to the Xelic's head and body, Angel found himself backed towards the warehouse wall. Out of options he brought the pipe straight up and through the creature's eye. A visceral cry came from the demon as a thick, yellow fluid spewed from its eye socket.

Xelic threw back its head in pain. Angel thought he caught a glimpse of black jump unnoticed onto the serpents back.

With the pole still protruding, the Xelic restarted its crawl towards Angel, its mouth open and emitting a terrible hissing sound.

Searching for another weapon, Angel saw from the corner of his eye, Spike, stood on top of the demon's head. He quickly reached down and pulled the pipe out of Xelic, which again screeched in pain. Before he could be thrown, Spike forced the pipe straight down through the demon's brain with a sickening, wet thud.

After swaying, pendulum like from side to side, the snake collapsed into a heap on the floor, like a discarded hose pipe.

The motion caused Spike to be thrown from the Xelic's back and onto the ground. He rolled and managed to stand directly in front of Angel.

Brushing himself down and smiling gleefully, Spike glanced up at Angel. "Well, that was fun. What do we kill next?"

Covered in demon slime and not in the best of moods, Angel merely glared at the mystifyingly slime-free Spike and turned to leave the factory. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Of Slime and Slayers

Walking back through the rat-infested alleys, Angel pulled a disgusted face as he finally caught a smell of what he was covered in.

"Oh yeah, this coat's ruined. I mean, I just can't win, even when-"

"Hey, Dapper Dan, wait up!" shouted Spike.

"What do you want?" said Angel, without turning around.

"Well a 'thank you for saving my nearly snake food ass' might be nice. That, or just your undying gratitude of course."

"I could have handled it myself," growled Angel. "It was your fault it woke up in the first place."

"Hey now, that's no way to speak to your Shining Knight now, is it?" said Spike, once again walking next to Angel. "And really it's your own fault you look like a walking snot ball."

"Ye know what Spike?" said Angel, angrily turning to face the other vampire. He paused for a moment before the anger melted to be replaced by dejected depression. He sighed. "I really don't care," and continued walking.

Spike remained standing statue still for a few seconds, before an angry frown formed on is face. "Oh that's right! I try to help you and what do I get in return? A big 'sod all' for my troubles is what. Maybe if you hadn't gone off half-cocked on this, taken a spot of weaponry with you, you wouldn't have been on the messy end of a Xelic slime fountain," he said, then began to walk after the retreating vampire. "What you really need is more help. Some other fighter to join your little wonder-gang..."

Spike was just about to continue with his rant when Angel spoke up.

"I have," he said in no more than a quiet mumble.

"What?"

"I have," Angel repeated. "That's what this was about."

A puzzeled look crossed Spike's face at that before realization dawned.

"Oh, well...right. Erm, don't know what to say, I mean...never thought I was welcome 'round 'ere and..."

Now it was Angel's turn to look confused. "What?" then once again, the penny dropped. "Not you Spike!"

"...and...huh? What do you mean 'not me'?"

"Tonight wasn't about testing you bleach boy, I was testing myself. That's what this," he said, pulling a piece of slightly gooey paper from his pocket, "was about. I had Gunn and Wes come down earlier and the defense team put one of the demons on guard."

"So you mean to tell me you came here to find something you had hidden and fight a demon you put there for some unknown and mysterious reason? I really underestimated how bored you were," said Spike.

"It's not about boredom!" Angel shouted. "It was a test," he sat down on a packing crate and stared silently into space for a moment. Spike stood opposite watching him before Angel spoke again. "You were right," Spike went to speak but Angel interrupted. "Don't say anything Spike." He focused again. "I have been sat in that office too long. I needed to know. I needed to find out if I could still do what I used to. I have to be ready. And the fact that you had to kill that Xelic while I'm sat here covered in radioactive demon goo just answers my question," Angel said, wiping some slime from his face and flicking it to the floor with a wet 'splat'.

Spike didn't speak. Instead he came and sat down next to his sire. But not so close that he got yellow sludge all over his coat. Pulling out a cigarette and offering one to Angel, who declined, he lit up. He seemed to think for a moment before saying: "When I got my soul back, I became a pretty useless fighter too. Well, no, first I went crazy, but after that..." at this, he turned to Angel and said in a low voice, "you repeat this to anyone and I'll...do something extremely horrible to you."

Angel stared back, his look conveying just how unlikely this was.

Spike continued: "You..." and let out an irritated sigh, "are one of the best fighters I've met. Excluding me of course," each word showing how hard it was for him to admit this. "Anyway, whatever big bad is coming next you can handle it. With help from yours truly, of course."

Angel sat contemplating this for a moment, looking at the ground and up at the sky but never at the man sat next to him. It finally occurred to him how much Spike had changed in the relatively short time (for the undead, at least) he had known him. Then, after a long but comfortable silence, he spoke again.

"I never thought I'd say this Spike, but, thank you."

"You're welcome," said Spike, all animosity forgotten for just a moment.

A very short moment, in fact, because his expression quickly changed back to it's normal lop-sided grin. "Just don't let it out I'm goin' soft on ya Peaches," said Spike, pointing at Angel with his cigarette before standing and crushing on the ground with his boot. "I'd never live that one down."

Angel just rolled his eyes and stood also

"So, what terrifying apocalyptic evil do I have to save you from now?" asked Spike.

Angel stood and, with a new sense of resolve and determined purpose, turned to leave uttering two simple words.

"A Slayer." 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Family Feud's and Feuding Families

Spoilers! S5

Half an hour later, Angel and Spike were sat in Angel's office.

"Wait, so...run that by me again," said Spike, for the third time that night.

"Slayer. Coming here. I'm training her. It's really very simple," said Angel, making sure to pronounce each word clearly for the 'hard-of-thinking' member of the team. "Although perhaps not simple enough."

"Hey, watch it mate. Jus' remember whose side I'm on," Spike reminded, treating Angel to an evil stare, one which was returned by the other vampire with complete sincerity.

The other occupants of the room took this opportunity to make an input.

"Hey, guys, loving the whole 'macho insaneo' act, believe me, but can we just cool it for a second," said Lorne, holding up his hands in a conciliatory manner, "and try to focus on the main issue here."

"Lorne's right," said Wesley. "Angel, if what you're saying is true then we need to be fully prepared. Slayer training is a great deed to undertake, we can't take this on lightly."

Angel ignored Spike's looks for a moment and took in his team. Lorne was sat at the counter, where he had rapidly moved to when Angel had broken the news about the Slayer, and was helping himself to a large whisky. Gunn was stood in his full legal-eagle costume and resting against the window, clearly calculating the possibilities of having a Slayer on their side. Wesley and Fred were sat together on the sofa and Angel reflected how nice it was to see them together again, especially after the whole Illyria affair. In fact it was Fred who spoke next.

"But I thought the Watchers Council didn't trust us. Isn't that what Andrew said?"

"Maybe this new Slayer is something special. Maybe she needs more concentrated attention than they can give her?" speculated Gunn.

"Oh great, I can't wait to have a Slayer around again. Wonder which appendage I'll loose this time? Maybe I could run a sweep?" said Spike, sarcasm clear in his voice.

"Can it Spike!" said Angel, aggravation rising. He addressed his friends. "Listen, I don't know why she's being sent here, but we have to be prepared for the worst. Spike may be annoying-"

"Hey!" protested Spike,

"-but he does have a point," Angel continued. "We can't afford to make the same mistakes we made with Dana. This is our chance to regain the Council's trust," he turned to Spike, "Buffy's trust, so we have to do it properly. Make her welcome, but don't forget that she is a Slayer, and she could kill any one of us as easy as that," said Angel, snapping his fingers for emphasis. "Be on your guard around her but please, make her feel like she's part of the family."

"What is this? The bloody Mafia?" came the mumble.

"Ye know what Spike; I've just about had enough of this back-biting attitude."

"Really? Maybe you should go get a new one then?"

"That's it, I've had it! You and me-"

"Oh yeah? You wish!"

"You reckon?"

"Bring it on you big ponce!"

"Better believe-" said Angel, jumping across the table and facing down the other vamp.

"Erm...?" came the apologetic little sound, halting Angel mid-glower.

All eyes turned to the girl stood timidly in the doorway, causing her to go an even deeper shade of red.

"I-I I'm s-sorry I..." she stuttered. "I hope I'm n-not interrupting..."

"Who are you?" said Angel, still stood aggressively in front of Spike.

"I was told to come here...erm. I'm Wren. The er...the S-Slayer," she paused and took in the scene in front of her. "Hi!"

To Be Continued! Woo! 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five – Getting To Know You.

Nothing happened for a few moments after the new comer had made herself known. Angel and Spike remained standing in the middle of the room, their conflict momentarily forgotten. Wesley and Fred were sat on the sofa, their mouths open in shock, while Gunn stood by the window calmly assesing the situation.

Lorne was the first to speak, as the Scotch he had been pouring (and had forgotten to stop pouring, began to overflow the glass.

"Aw great, well that's an imported silk suit that won't see another award ceremony," said the demon, wiping the stain further into the material.

This seemed to snap the other occupants of the room out of their respective stupors. Wesley and Fred's mouths simultaneously snapped shut with audible clicks, and Angel and Spike moved out of their stare-down stance in order to face the quiet girl at the door properly.

"Er, Wren, please come in," said Angel, in a slightly over enthusiastic tone to make up for his previous sharpness.

The timid Slayer paused in the doorway, glancing around at the rather mixed group of people in the room with a look of very obvious fear.

"It's perfectly fine Wren," Angel continued, in a more normal voice, "I'm Angel and these are all my colleagues...and Spike." He added the last in a not so hidden undertone.

Spike merely glowered at Angel and moved to lean in the corner of the room, so as better to take in the whole situation, while carefully avoiding the Slayer and keeping a sharp look out for any evidence of her trying to cut him into little bits. Spike wasn't sure if it was simply a case of 'once bitten, twice shy', but something seemed off to his vampiric senses about this girl, and he didn't want to come into too close a contact until he could figure out whatever the hell it was.

Unaware of this close scrutiny, and feeling slightly less nervous at Angel's words, Wren slowely moved into the room. He shoulders were shrugged up tight as if protecting her neck, and her hands, which were holding a red back pack, were kept close to her stomach, with her arms drawn in tight to her body. All her body language was projecting a feeling of a small creature who had just wandered inadvertantly into the lion's den.

As she came closer, Angel moved to take her bag. When she suddenly flinched back from him as though afraid he might bite, he held up his hands to indicate he meant her no harm, and instead decided to introduce the rest of the Fang Gang.

"Wren, this is Wesley," Angel said. Wesley stood to shake Wren's hand, but when she shrank back he turned it into a somewhat lame hand wave instead.

"Wesley used to be a Watcher," Angel continued. Wren looked at him, and behind the ver present fear Angel could see a certain amount of recogntion. It seemed that this information helped her to calm slightly, as she began to speak for the first time after announcing her presence.

"L-like Mr G-giles?" she said, with a hint of hopefullness in her voice. To Angel she sounded like she had just found out that one of the lions was frinedly after all.

Angel grasped this opportunity quickly, sensing that it may be the only chance he got to get this clearly troubled young girl to trust them. "Yes! Just like Mr Giles!" he said, a little too loudly. He realised his mistake when Wren jumped considerably, the fear back in her eyes in an instant. He tried a calmer approach. "Yes, he's a watcher like Mr Giles. And he's from England too, just like you."

The rest of the group realised the girl hadn't yet spoken enough to get a proper read on her accent, but understanding soon came to all of them. Except for Spike, who's mild frown only deepened slightly.

Indicating to Fred, who was still sat on the sofa, Angel said "And this is Winifred, she's our resident scientist," and, realising a tactic which could work, "she's friends with Willow."

Fred stood up slowly, so as not to startle the very jumpy Slayer. "Everyone calls me Fred, it's nice to meet you."

Wren looked at Fred and smiled slightly, clearly more comfortable with the quieter woman than the other over-baring males in the room. "I-I like Willow's cookies." Fred waited to see if there was any more information to follow this small contribution, but when it seemed that none was forthcoming, she smiled at Wren and sat back down.

Next Gunn made himself known, not waiting for Angel to introduce him. "Hey Wren, I'm Charles, Charles Gunn, but everyone just calls me Gunn. Nice to meet ya."

Angel looked worried for a moment, concerned that this very forward greeting would scare the tightly would girl, however Wren seemed calmed by the fact that no one in the room had attempted to kill her where she stood, so she met this latest introduction with a small smile, before dipping her head and closely examining the carpet.

After giving Gunn a look of 'what do you think you're trying to do!' Angel direct Wren's attention to the slightly damp Lorne. "And this is Lorne, he's in charge of our entertainment devision," over Wren's head, Angel tried to frantically convey to Lorne that this would be a good time to not be too 'Lorneish' and just introduce himself in as subdued a manner as possible. It was a very interesting facial expression.

Lorne seemed to take this to heart, but still managed to show his usual nature, "Hey precious, how are you? I know it's hard being in a new place and all, so if youever need to talk, feel free to come see me, OK cutie?"

Angel was sure that this over familiar approach would be sure to scare Wren most of all, and was preparing to have to stop her from running away. However, after a couple of seconds Wren said, "Thank you," and nothing more, but to Angel it seemed like the most heart felt thanks he had heard in many years.

While all of this was going on, Spike had been stood in the corner, calmly smoking a cigarette and very carefully watching this whole little 'getting to know you' session unfold. So far he had discovered this;

Like everyone else he saw the girl; English, from what Angel said; medium build, but looking smaller because of the way she carried herself; indefinable age, could have been as old as 18 but looked about 14 because of her stature; blonde hair with just a hint of browm in places; loose fitting clothes which seemed far too old for her, indicating someone who looked as if they've been dressed by their grandmother; and a look on her face which showed for all the world to see that she was a victim and the whole world scared all the life out of her. Spike wasn't sure if this was how the girl had always been, or if the transformation into a Slayer had revealed some truths about the world which she just hadn't been able to cope with, but it was plain to see that this girl was terrified by just about everything.

And yet something seemed off. Something not quite right about the whole damn situation...and he didn't have a bloody clue what it could be. But he certainally intended to find out.

He took another drag of his cigarette as Angel finally turned the girl towards him.

"And this is Spike," said Angel, almost as an after thought, "he just sort of hangs around the place."

Ignoring this Spike threw the stub to the ground and crushed it with his boot. "It's not as if we don't have an ash tray," Angel thought angrily.

"Nice t' meet ye, luv," said Spike, laying on the accent, as well as a touch of the old 'Big Bad' persona, nice and thick, but then caught Angel's glare and decided not to push it. He dropped into a more normal voice, "Like he said I jus' 'hang around the place', so I'll be gettin' out of your way," and with that he pushed passed Angel and out of the room.

Wren stood looking at where he had left for a moment, before turning around and whispering very quietly, so that only Angek could hear, "I don't l-like him very much."

Angel looked at Wren, a small smile coming to his lips, before he put a gentle hand on her shoulder and said, just as quielty, "Neither do I, but don't you worry about him, I'm here to look after you."

A shocked and wonderous expression crossed the girl's face, before she smiled and tears came to her eyes. And then she did something which shocked everyone in the room, especially Angel, and caught him in a tight hug, like someone who has just round a life belt on a sinking ship. And from that moment on, Angel swore to himself and any God that might be listening, that he would protect this girl until the end. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six – Room to breathe...metaphoically speaking.

As Fred led Wren up to her room, Angel sat at his desk and tried to get his head around everything that had happened that day. First of all he'd accepted a potentially leathal ally into his group, which could come in very useful when fighting the demon underworld. However, the second thing he had soon come to realise was that, despite the girl's natural (or supernatural) abilities as a Slayer, he personality was so strong, she was so unbelievably afraid of...something! that there was no way in hell that she would be in any state to fight. At least, not until they'd worked out what the root of the problem was.

Angel recognised some of the symptoms straight away. There was clearly something in this girl, who he couldn't help but see as a child, despite the fact he knew from the Council that she was at least 18, had some horror in her past which was affecting her to this day, and he was determined to find out what it was. He wanted to help this girl, this Wren, more than anything, he wanted to save her.

-+-

The room which Angel had had converted into Wren's appartment was a light, airy space on the top floor of the Wolfram and Hart building. It had been one of the many conference rooms, but Angel had insited when he first learned that he was to take charge of the young Slayer, that she would need space of her own in order to train. More importantly, being a teenager, he knew she would need the space just to stop from driving herself and everyone else crazy!

It was, undoubtedly. a beautiful space, although Wren didn't really seem to acknowledge it when she first walked in. Fred went over to the far wall and pulled on the string which opened the drapes, which were of a heavy material, but were a light beige in colour. As soon as she did, the room flooded with light, the entire wall being made up of glass. Wren blinked and cowered away for a second, before seeming to uncoil slightly and look around the room. The floor around the door was carpeted with a thick pile, luxurious cream carpet. Further into the room and to the left was a wooded floor on which stood a small dining table, made of a similar wood finish. On the right was an area partitioed by a breakfast bar, behind which was a small but well appointed kitchen. Angel had made very clear to include things Wren could use to cook with, but nothing she could potentially burn the whole building down with. So, a microwave had been installed, as well as a small electric oven and a refrigerator. There was a sink next to this, and a few plates and cutlery aranged next to it. Further into the room than this, towards the huge window, was a raised area, again with a wooden floor, but with a thick circular rug on top of it. On the rug was a large white leather sofa and two easy chairs in the same material, with a small glass coffee table in the middle of the arrangement. Tp the right of this area was a door which led into the bedroom, fitted with equally simple but luxurious items in pale colours and warm woods. As Wren moved further into the room, her eyes opening wide at the wonder of it all, she noticed a door which had previously been hidden by the kitchen area. Fred indicated to the door when she noticed the reluctant girl staring at the woodwork.

"That's your training area. Angel thought it would be a good idea if you had a space for yourself to train in," she paused as she remembered what the Slayer was like and realised she had probably never trained in her life before, "You don't have to use it if you don't want to, but if you do it's there and, well...y'know," she finished quietly.

Wren looked first phased and then slightly stunned by all this information, and Fred was sure she was about to bolt, although Lord only knew where to. But then, the girl met Fred's eyes, and there was a strength hidden deep in there that Fred had never seen before, and made her remember that, altough this girl was painfully introverted and shy, she was still decended from warriors.

"Umm," began Wren, before pausing and starting again, "could I maybe see inside, please?" She said, as thoygh asking to see some highly forbidden thing, not her own appartment.

Fred nodden and moved to open the door, all the time watching as Wren moved slowly into the next room.

The training room was just as light as the apartment, but this time un-natural light filled the space, from large lights held high above the floor. The walls were plain white, and there was a large black mat covering most of the central floor space. On the walls there hung many different kinds of weapons. From training staffs and hardwood swords, to wracks of Samuri swords, Tsi's and many kinds of throwing knives, as well as other oddly shaped weapons Fred couldn't even begin to name.

Wren moved around the room as if in a trance, clearly spellbound by the arsenal before her. "Slayer indeed", though Fred. Then, as if burned, Wren shrieked and jumped back from a wall chart displaying a vampire and marking the key places to aim for when fighting. Fred rushed to the side of the quaking girl, who had shrunk into a ball on the floor, but still unable to take her eyes off the picture of the demon. Amid the torrent of words that were coming out of her mouth, Fred couldn't quick figure what had the girl so spooked. Clearly the picture of the vamp had distressed her somehow, but Fred couldn't tell exactly what about it had frightened her. Picking the girl up off the ground, and supporting the trembling Slayer into her yet unseen bedroom, Fred resolved to tell Angel as soon as possible about what had happened, and just hoped that Wren would calm down enough to be able to explain.

Lying Wren down on the bed, Fred sat down beside her and tried to sooth the girl. Eventually Wren seemed to fall asleep, and Fred quietly moved out of the room and headed back down to Angel's office, a look of deep concern on her face.

-+-

When Fred walked in to Angel's office, she found him staring out of his window, watching the sun set. She couldn't see his face, but by the shape of his shoulders and the way his arms were crossed in front of him she could tell he was brooding on something. "Oh no, not again," she thought, but said "Er, Angel, I think you should come up and see Wren, she was looking around her training room and something about that picture of the vampire got her spooked real bad."

Angel immediately turned on his heels at this point and faced Fred. "Where is she?" he demanded, concern deep in his voice for his new ward.

"I put her in her bed and she fell asleep. Well, after she was done shaking and wailing that is. Angel I really don't know what could have got her so bad! I mean she was really terrified, and it wasn't even real!"

"Take me to her," the vampire said shortly, "and get Lorne and the other's up here too, we may need them."

As Angel followed Fred back up the way she had just come from Wren's room, he grew more and more concerned, but also even more certain that his previos theories about Wre's past were well founded. If a picture of a Vampire was enough to promote this sort of hysterical reaction, then she must be carrying an even deeper fear around with her. Something from her past, something that had been done to her, or that she had seen done? Angel couldn't tell.

One thing was certain however, and this worried Angel most, only beaten by his concern for the girl's well being. If he couldn't find out what was causing her behaviour and try to get her to confront her fear, the she would never be able to fight the way a Slayer should. What's more, she would never be able to trust him once she found out what he was, and the thought of that nearly broke the vampire's unbeating heart.

-+-

When Fred walked in to Angel's office, she found him staring out of his window, watching the sun set. She couldn't see his face, but by the shape of his shoulders and the way his arms were crossed in front of him she could tell he was brooding on something. "Oh no, not again," she thought, but said "Er, Angel, I think you should come up and see Wren, she was looking around her training room and something about that picture of the vampire got her spooked real bad."

Angel immediately turned on his heels at this point and faced Fred. "Where is she?" he demanded, concern deep in his voice for his new ward.

"I put her in her bed and she fell asleep. Well, after she was done shaking and wailing that is. Angel I really don't know what could have got her so bad! I mean she was really terrified, and it wasn't even real!"

"Take me to her," the vampire said shortly, "and get Lorne and the other's up here too, we may need them."

As Angel followed Fred back up the way she had just come from Wren's room, he grew more and more concerned, but also even more certain that his previos theories about Wre's past were well founded. If a picture of a Vampire was enough to promote this sort of hysterical reaction, then she must be carrying an even deeper fear around with her. Something from her past, something that had been done to her, or that she had seen done? Angel couldn't tell.

One thing was certain however, and this worried Angel most, only beaten by his concern for the girl's well being. If he couldn't find out what was causing her behaviour and try to get her to confront her fear, the she would never be able to fight the way a Slayer should. What's more, she would never be able to trust him once she found out what he was, and the thought of that nearly broke the vampire's unbeating heart.

-+-

Angel indicated quietly that Fred, Gunn, Wesley and Spike should wait outside, and that Lorne and he should go in and see Wren alone. He didnt want to stress the girl even further by bring a deputation of stange, new people into her room. He turned to Lorne,

"You go i first and try and get a read on her. I know she won't be singing but considering the emotions she must be going through to act like this, I'm sure that won't be a major problem."

Lorne nodded and carefully opened the door and moved into the room.

Angel turned to the rest of the group. "I don't know what's causing this, but I do know that this girl could be very important to us, could be vital in fact, so we have to make sure we get he well again."

"That all sounds great Angel pie," said Lorne, exiting the room, "but may I suggest you do something else first?"

"What?" said Angel, impatience clear in his voice.

"Find her," said Lorne, opening the door further to reveal an empty bed. And an open window. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – The World Famous Disappearing Slayer Trick.

As soon as Lorne announced Wren's unexpected disappearance, all hell broke loose. Angel started frantically contacting every security division in his command, and requesting a close viewing of all security footage taken in the last 30 minutes from the entire W&H building. Not only this, but he had seven extremely tallented seers brought in to try and find the location of Wren and who ever had taken her. He took his growing frustration out, as usual, on those around him.

"I don't care if he's on a skiing weekend in the Alps, he's the best damn seer we've got. I want him in my office and I want him there five damn minutes ago!" said Angel, yelling down the phone to the severly shaken woman in charge of the Psycokinetic and Telepathic division.

"Angel, I'm sure they can't have gotten far," said Wesley in a resonable tone of voice, "I mean Fred only left her here for ten minutes, no more."

The group had been hurrying after Angel as he strode down the coridoor to the lifts on Wren's floor, but stopped suddenly as Angel wheeled around to face them, a very Angelus like look on his face.

"Why did she have to leave her in the first place," he seethed, turning to Fred, "never heard of a little invention called the mobile phone?"

Fred went to respond but didn't get the chance, as Angel quickly turned around and stormed off at double speed down the hall to the lifts.

-+-

Spike had hung behind while the others had run off after the poof, in another of his 'this is everyone's fault but mine and now i'm really pissed off' moods. He moved carefully into Wren's room, first looking out the window at the dizzying drop on the other side, this being the top floor after all, and then moving to look at the bed. The covers were flung onto the floor, as if the occupant had left, or been pulled out in a hurry. The furniture was untouched, as Wren had brought precious little in the way of personal belongings with her, except her bag and the clothes she stood up in.

Considering this search a dead end, Spike turned to leave the room, before something under the bed caught his eye. Moving closer it looked like something which had been hurridly pushed under the bed in an attempt to hide it, but with not quite complete sucess. Bending down to pick it up, Spike finally realised that it was Wren's rediculously over sized jumper, and a pair of baggy sweats.

-+-

Getting down to his office, Angel immediately called all of his divison heads into a meeting. He had calmed slightly, and surveyed the room from behind his desk with a look of stern determination.

I'm sure you all realise the severity of this situation. With a Slayer, an untrained Slayer, but a Slayer nonetheless, possibly in the hands of a dangerous enemy, we don't have much time to loose. Who ever this person or people is, we can assume they are very dangerous and have a detailed awareness of the building's layout and security systems. To be able to get in and out undetected, we cannot afford to underestimate them." 'They've also got to be pretty clued in on all of our actions,' Angel thought to himself. 'I was the only one who knew Wren was coming, and even I didn't expect it to be today.'

"I want all teams assigned to different zones of the city, with one kept back here in case they try to return. Wesley, Gunn, Fred and myself will stay in close contact with all team leaders and will be ready to move to wherever extra assistance is needed. If you find anything that looks remotely like the target we're looking for, let us know. I want this done quietly and quickly. I don't want it getting around the demon populus that there's a vulnerable Slayer out and potentially alone, is that clear?"

After general murmers of assent, Angel closed the meeting, and each department set to work on it's assigned tasks. When the room was empty, except for the Fang Gang, Angel turned to his friends.

"Is everyone clear on what we have to do?" he said shortly.

"Of course Angel, we're all going to do our best," said Wesley, "but do you really think a search on this scale is necessary?"

Angel looked at Wesley with a fierce glare in his eye and said simply "Yes," before leaving the room and heading down to the garage to start hs own search.

Gunn and Wesley caught each others eye and shared a look of concern.

"It seems like our fearless leader is off on the whole 'save the damzel in distress' thing again, and he's only know this one for 2 hours," said Gunn with barely hidden contempt, "what's the deal with that?"

"It does seem a little over the top just for one girl," said Fred, "I mean I know she's a Slayer and everything but I don't understand why Angel's acting like this."

The other three occupants of the room nodded, and Lorne appeared to be deep in thought for a moment, before they all moved out to complete their assigned tasks.

-+-

Spike hadn't been to the meeting. He had always been, and always been, very much an advocate of 'act now, talk later'. In most cases this ended up with him getting his ass handed to him on a plate, but just occasionally his dive right in tactics came up in his favour.

Fortunately for him, this was one of those times. He had followed the scent on Wren's clothes, again something in the back of his mind tried to get his attention, but he ignored it for now, and it had led to the roof. 'That's sensible enough,' he had thought, 'not like the bloody girl grew wings and flew out of there. From the roof he had lost it for a while, before extending his senses out to the surrounding buildings. This provided him with more luck, and he could see where the girl had either been jumped or thrown about 20 meters across to the slightly lower roof of a neighbouring sky scraper. Knowning he could never make that distance, and becoming increasingly curious as to what creature had taken the Slayer, considering it must have been extremely agile, fast and incredibly powerful, Spike moved to the centre of the roof and down into the stairwell.

-+-

Once out on the street, Spike moved to the front, and then the rear entrance of the next door building, knowing Wren must have come down some how. Picking up her scent again at the back entrance, he proceeded to follow it for the next hour. Stopping occasionally to find it again, and to check that he was still going the right way. He knew without checking exactly where he was being taken though, as it was a route he often took on a Friday night when he was bored out of his mind.

The trail of the Slayer had led him into downtown LA, and further past that into the darker places, where all the demons had their favourite haunts. He walked past bar after bar, where the trail would move inside, before coming back out joined by several other demons. 'Maybe our mystery kidnapper is looking for the highest bidder?' Spike thought, 'or plannin' a little 'Kill A Slayer' party.' If he hadn't been a demon Spike would have shuddered at the thought, but the fact that he was souled was enough to make him feel revolted by the concept. There was a time, he mused as he walked further, that he would have been first in the que for tickets to such an event, but that was behind him now, and there was a lost kid to find. 'Pansy,' he thought to himself, without any real feeling.

After another fifteen minutes, Spike was sure he was getting closer to his prey. The Slayers scent was getting stronger and now more and more demon's were being persuaded to come out of each bar. Spike was about to turn a corner into yet another dingy ally, when a demon came flying out backwards past him, nearly knocking Spike off his feet.

Falling into a fighting stance, Spike was ready to attack the demon as soon as it got up and force it to tell him where the Slayer was, when he noticed the large hole in the demon's chest where it's heart and many of it's vital organs should be. 'Clearly a little over keen to get to the slaughter,' Spike thought, assuming the demon had been killed by one of it's own kind. He carefully peaked his head around the corner, ready for any other little suprises, and then stepped out fully, mouth hanging open at the sight before him. 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight – Oh So That's How You Do It!.

As Angel drove frantically around the freeways and back streets of LA, turning his attention from the road every five seconds to check his mobile, he began to grow more and more concerned for Wren's safety. He didn't know what had taken her or why, but the guilty feeling inside him kept growing, despite the fact he knew there was nothing he could have done.

'You can't let her be hurt,' he kept saying over and over to himself, pressing the gas pedal down even further as his mantra continued, 'you have to save her, you have to protect this girl.'

Angel didn't know exactly why his urge to watch over Wren was so strong. But he knew exactly what prowled the streets of Los Angeles, just waiting to prey on innocents like Wren, and he knew that on her own, she wouldn't stand a chance.

-+-

Meanwhile, back in the alley...

Spike stood slack jawed for a moment, completely stunned by the spectacle that was taking place in from of him.

'It's like poetry in motion,' the ever present sensitive side of his nature supplied, and the demon was not want to disagree.

In the middle of the alley was a mass of demons, surrounded by a ring of their clearly dead compatriots. In the centre of the mass was a not quite distinguishable shape, but whatever it was was dealing out all kinds of interesting retribution.

The...creature...or whatever it was, moved with the grace and speed a hundred times that of the fastest vampire, and with a grace that made it look as if they were taking part in some choreographed dance, rather than a street brawl. Although it - for Spike had no idea whether the creature was male, female, or some kind of heavenly warrior - was surrounded by as many as ten foes at one time, they always seemed to be inexplicably out of reach of each attacker, while at the same time in the optimum position for dishing out maximum carnage.

While Spike watched, temporarily immobilised and slightly entranced by the beautiful dance in front of him, the creature performed incredible aerial stunts. Including one move, which resulted in three dead Fyyarl demons and half a tall, yellow creature being flung through the air and landing on top of the dumpster to Spike's left. This broke him out of his reverie, and, as the number of assailants thinned, he moved in closer and leaned nonchalantly on a wall, lighting up a cigarette, ready to see this supreme warrior deliver its final death blow.

With only five attackers remaining, the creature, which Spike could now see was humanoid, medium height, and definitely female, performed a jumping round house which caught each of the demons successively on the jaw and sent them reeling backwards. The first demon, a vampire, was quickly dispatched with a stake thrown over arm with such force, that it ended up being pinned to the door behind it before eventually dusting. The next demon, a brown figure with a row of spines up its back, was caught with a mid-air triple kick, which sent it staggering backwards, only to have its neck snapped his opponent who had somehow managed to move behind him with eye watering speed.

The remaining three demons spread out so as to attack the creature simultaneously from different sides. The Valkyrie in the centre turned in a slow circle attempting to get all of them in view. Spike tried but couldn't see it's - or as he was now beginning to realise her - face as she was stood in a deep pool of shadow. Suddenly, on some unspoken command, all three demons attacked. Spiked almost jumped in to help the woman-like creature, before realising that either way his efforts would be futile, and leaned back against the wall to find out how this gargantuan battle ended.

As soon as the three demons's attacked the creature jumped up straight over their heads and out of sight. When they realised that they were only fighting each other the demon's, the two vampires and a third which had a skin like a cockroaches shell, only less appealing, moved back out into the light to search for their lost kill. The cockroachy demon had his back turned to the wall, so did not see the shape which fell down from the ledge above the door and swiftly broke its neck. Both vampires' turned, and Spike's view was blocked for an instant, only to clear rapidly when both vampires turned to dust before his eyes.

And there, standing in the space the demon's had so recently departed, was the creature Spike had been watching for what felt like, at one and the same time, an instant and an eternity. She stood with her head slightly bowed and her eyes staring directly at Spike with a look that would have made a lesser man - or demon - die where he stood, for it was the look of a perfect warrior; remorseless, calculating, yet full of a fire that threatened to burn who ever saw it. Then, slowly the woman raised her head and stepped forward, not a mark on her body, not a hair out of place, not a smudge on her pristine make up.

Spike looked puzzled for a moment, his brain not quite being able to catch up with what his eyes were seeing. It was not until the vision before him smiled a perfectly friendly smile, and spoke in a slightly sarcastic tone, that his mouth dropped agape and his eyes widened comically in shock.

"Hey Spike," said Wren, "how ya been?" 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 - Who's Going to Clean All This Up?

She stood there, arm hanging casually by her sides, head tilted to one side with an expression of genuine curiosity, as if she had not been at the centre of one of the most exhilerating fights Spike had ever seen. Gone were the baggy clothes of before. Instead she stood confidently in a pair of black combats which hung low on her hips and a dark purple tank top. Her hair was down and shaped into a slightly erratic style. In her left hand was a stake, which she pushed into one of her pockets while continuing to look at Spike. She looked perfectly sincere, except for the gleam in her eyes, partly excitement and aggression from the fight, part mirth at the fact that Spike was now looking at her slack-jawed and bug-eyed.

Both stood in silence for a short time, Wren looking on with the same feigned expression of mild curiosity, and Spike with a look of complete shock, before he finaly shook his head and spoke.

"What the bloody hell was that pet?"

"Nice to see you too," said Wren, a smile coming to her lips to match the light in her eyes.

"You...I mean...what?...But...with..." Spike garbled, "I mean...you...How?"

"An excelent question," said Wren, her voice retaining the slightly upper class British accent, but speaking far more elloquently and with infinitely more confidence than the last time Spike had heard her, "And one I fully intend to answer. But first I think we should probably leave, 'cos there's going to be a hell of a lot of questions when someone see's all this," she said, gesturing the the piles of dead demons, "and, I don't know about you, but I don't want to be the one who's expected to give them the answers."

With that she turned around and started to walk, calmly but purposefully, out of the alley, leaving Spike glued to the spot for the second time since he'd seen her. Once again he quickly gained his composure and ran after her.

"Now look here just a second missy," Spike growled, grabbing Wren's arm and spinning her around, "Just what the hell is going on?"

Looking straight into his eyes, Wren said, in a even but forceful voice, "Please let go of my arm."

"What? Now wait just a minute..." Spike said, reaching around to grab her other arm as well.

Before his had was even half way, Wren had grabbed his wrist and effortlessly spun out of his grip. Taking his right arm by just above the elbow and his left at the wrist, she spun around and threw him into the wall to her right.

All of this happened so fast that Spike didn't even have time to register the fact that he had lost his grip on the girl, before he came abrubtly into contact with the brickwork and then the concrete floor. He lay there for a moment, slightly dazed by the dizzying speed at which he had been thrown, rather than the force of his impact, which had been minimal. In this time Wren had walked over and stood by his head. Studying him for a moment she reached down and offered her hand to help him up. Spike focussed at that and looked at her hand as if it would bite. He then reaslised that she did not intend to attack him again and reluctantly accepted her help.

When he was on his feet again, he looked at Wren and, to his suprise, saw that she looked slightly sheepish. He was even more shocked by what she said next.

"Sorry," said Wren, a little more quitey than she had been before, "it's kind of an automatic reaction. I didn't throw you too hard did I?"

Although still in a complete state of bemusement regarding the past few minutes, Spike heard himself mumble "Nah pet, s'alright," before staring at her in complete confusion.

Feeling a little strange being under deep scrutiny, Wren spoke up after a few seconds. "OK then, that's good. Just please don't do that again. Now, I really think it's best if we get out of here don't you? If you want to talk...or at least listen, then I know somewhere safe we can go."

Nodding slightly dumbly, Spike fell into step next to Wren as she turned to walk off again, and followed her out of the alley and into the dark streets of LA.

-+-

A few minutes after Spike and Wren left, someone did turn up in the alley, and they certainly did have several questions.

Angel had abandoned his car about an hour previously, realising that any demon that wanted to retain a low profile was unlikely to stay on the main streets. He had headed into the seedy demon underbelly of the city, and was horrified by what he had found.

Her scent was everywhere. It trailed around all the most infamous bars and dives, around all the demon haunts and nests in the area. Angel repressed a shudder at the thought of what Wren must have gone, or still be going through as she was dragged around by her captor. Angel couldn't even begin to think what what happeneing or why, so focussed was he on catching up with the young slayer, and coming face to face with the monster who had taken her.

After a short time, he found the site of the enormous battle, and stopped in mixed wonder and horror at the destruction he saw. He had could not even begin to conceive what had meeted out this kind of punishment, but instantly became fearful at the thought that the creature which had taken Wren from Wolfram and Hart had been capable of this level of violence. A this point his thoughts immediately came back to Wren, so completely defenseless against this kind of power, and feared the worst.

After searching for her body amidst those of the demons, Angel finally found her scent again, this time leaving the field of battle. With it came another smell, a demon with which he was all too familiar. Spike.

Thinking back, Angel realised that Spike had not been seen by anyone since Wren's disappearance, and his expression immediately darkened at the thought. Although Angel knew that Spike had a soul and had been fighting on the side of good for over two years, he also knew that that did not make him impervious to magical control or other kinds of mind alteration. Angel also knew that Spike on his own could not have been responsible for the carnage he saw around him, and a thought began to form in his mind.

Quickly jumping to the wrong conclusion, Angel assumed the worst, so blinded he was by the need to protect the young girl who he had become so deeply attatched to. Fully intent on finding Spike and killing him if he could not remove whatever control he was under, Angel ran off in persuit of the Slayer and the demon which possessed her. 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 - Questions? Comments?

Spike followed Wren in silence, completely at a loss for anything to say. Instead he focussed his attention on what he was going to ask her when he finally had the chance.

Wren walked beside Spike with a look of complete relaxation on her race, oblivious to the mental wrestling her companion was doing in tying to fathom out what the hell was going on. After walking for around half an hour, and reaching a more respactable part of town, Wren caught Spike's attention, and signalled him to follow her into a small, dark fronted cafe.

Although he did not know the place, Spike could tell immediately that the clientele of the cafe was not exactly mothers and orphans. Instead there were a few scruplous characters, all apparently at ease. Some were clearly demons, while others seemed to be darker and somehow different. Not exactly demon but certainly not of the mortal world. Some, on the other hand, were perfectly normal humans, and Spike wondered whether they were aware that they were sharing the place with demons, of if the were somehow magically blinded to the fact that some of the patrons were big green things with horns.

Wren broke his speculations by gesturing him to follow her into a booth at the back of the cafe. Sitting down, she immediately picked up a menu and glanced over it.

"So, what do you fancy?" she inquired, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, "I've heard they do a pretty damn decent blooming onion." She glaced at SPike over the top of her menu and smiled, before turning her attention back to the page in front of her. "Personally I've never seen the appeal, but I suppose it takes all sorts."

A few minutes past, and Spike continued to say nothing. Instead he cast a speculative glance around the cafe, getting a better view than the brief one he had had as they had walked in. The corner they were sat in was dark, although not threatening, and a low ambient light seemed to fill the entire space around them. Other tables were set out in front of them, and a couple were taken up with small groups or couples who seemed to be enguaged in nothing more suspicious than ordering their food.

As Wren put doen her menu, the waitress came over. Spike glanced up and was not entirely suprised, as he was so far beyond being able to be shocked by anything any more after the nights events, to find that the woman before him looked like a stereotypical diner waitress. Quite old with permed grey hair and wearing a greeny-blue dress and apron. 'Looks like something out of bleedin' Happy Days,' Spike thought, then realised that someone was speaking to him.

"Spike! Hello, earth to bleach-boy!" said Wren, "I'm sorry about this," she said to the waitress, "he's had kind of a long night."

"Not to worry dear, I'll just fetch you kids some coffee," said the waitress in a kind, although tired, voice.

When she had returned and poured two mugs of coffee, Wren finally returned her attention to Spike, this time witha serious exression on her face.

"OK then, shoot," she said in a direct, no-nonsense tone.

"Wh-" Spike cleared his throat, having not spoken for some time, "What do you mean love?"

"Spike, I can practically See the gears turning in your head. You've got questions and I've got answers, so shoot." At his blank expression she pressed again. "Don't tell me this whole time you haven't been talking that nothinghas been going on inside that head of yours. From what I've heard you only shut up when forcibly made to...which means that either some creepy demon has come along and stolen your voice, or some serious thinking has been going on. So talk. I really didn't expect that would be a hard thing to get you to do."

Putting his questions about how exactly Wren knew so much about him, Spike asked the only prudent question he could think of."

"What are you?"

"Ah," said Wren, "the difficult ones first."

-+-

Casually sipping her coffee, Wren paused to think for a moment, before meeting Spike's eyes and talking.

"So do you want the long version or the short version first? 'Cos I've got to warn you, I may have to tell the full version in three parts," she said, a sarcastic smile on her face.

"I just want to know..." Spike paused momentarily, before continuing, "I just want to know who you are, and whose side you're on."

"I could ask the same of you Mr 'The Bloody'," Wren said, voice completely level and sincere."

"Yeah, but I asked first, love," Spike replied, with a small smile.

Wren sighed in an overly dramatic way before saying, "I know this is going to sound very much more than weak, but you can trust me Spike. Whose side I'm on...well, that's not really a question I can answer right now."

"Why not?" Spike interupted, his tone suddenly serious.

"Because I don't know which side your side is yet," Wren replied, equally seriously.

Silence fell between the two for a few seconds, each holding eye contact, before Wren looked away and continued, "But, I guess it wouldn't hurt for me to tell you my life story, as I'm most likely going to kill you later anyway," said the girl with a smile and a wink.

"So, where do you want me to start?"

"Hows about the beginning, and we move on from there," Spike said, before settling back and indicating Wren to start her story.

"Right then. The beginning it is." 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven - Some Time Ago...In A Hospital Kinda Far Away...

England, 1986, Just outside London

It should have been raining. There should have been thunder and lightening streaking across the sky and ripping the clouds to shreads. There should have been fire and death and fear.

Instead, there was a normal, quiet, although still rather painful, birth. A baby girl brought into the world surrounded by family and loved ones. Sometimes reality has no sense of dramatic scenery.

The small girl was handed to her mother by the nurse, wrapped in a blanket and bawling her head off.

"Well, I think she's going to be quite the chatter box," her father said, leaning down and placing a kiss on his wife's forehead. "What do you want to call her?"

Again, history missed a trick. In the most epic of stories a small bird should have flown through the window and landed on the bedside lamp, singing a song that would become critical in some way to the girl's future, or possibly crapped on the fruit basket. What should certainly not have happened is her mother picking a name out of the trashy paperback she'd just finished reading.

"Wren, I want to call her Wren," her mother replied. "My little girl."

And so, for a time the family was happy. And Wren was given everything a small baby with no real awareness of the world around it could want.

That was until history finally developed a sense of excitement.

The back door of the house flew backwards off it's hinges as the marauding group of vampires crashed into the house. The mother and father were killed instantly as they arose to find the source of the noise. As the group trashed the house to make it look like theives, one walked in to the nursery in search of the young girl, carrying something wrapped in a sheet.

Inside the room, which was lit by a softly glowing night-light, Wren was still asleep, having not been disturbed despite the noise around her. The vampire carfully walked to her cot and deposited the bundle he was carrying. An already dead baby girl of the same age as Wren. He then picked up the sleeping child, wrapped her up tightly and carried her out of her room.

Downstairs, his fellow demons were gathering. When they saw that their objective had been completed, each one walked back out of the house and into the night, with the child still sleeping in her captors arms.

-+-

Spike stared for a moment, a slightly incredulous look on his face. Wren look back with a composed expression and took another sip of her coffee.

"Right," Spike said, "very dramatic and full of portent. And you would know this how?"

Wren shrugged, "Mostly what I've been told...and a little dramatic liscence," she conceeded. "Do you want to hear the rest or not?"

"Oh please, do continue. Wouldn't want to miss the dramatic and heart wreching conclusion where we all learn something important about ourselves now, would I?"

"Why thank you," Wren teased, then did as he asked.

-+-

"So I was kidnapped, right? When I was a few months old," Wren spoke, and when she did there was absoloutely no sadness or anger in her voice or her expression. She told the story as if she was merely commenting on the weather. "Anyway, turned out I was taken by some crazy ancient vampire cult thing. Had this big old mansion somewhere in Oxfordshire. I hardly ever went outside to be honest, and then never out of the house's grounds. They kept me under pretty close watch the whole time. It wasn't so bad, I guess."

"Yeah, but hang on a minute love, you're skipping through the story a bit here. Why exactly did you get taken? What would a cult of vampires want with a baby?"

"Well if you'll let me tell the bloody story you'll find out, wont you?" said Wren, a little exasperated.

"Right, sorry. Carry on."

"So where was I? Oh yeah, crazy ass vampires."

-+-

England, 1998, Oxfordshire

Wren wandered around the halls of the big house which had become her home over the twelve years she had lived there. She knew the place like the back of her hand, and was aware of almost everything that went on there. As she walked towards the room which was set aside as her living quaters, a voice called out to her from the doorway behind her.

"Child! Please attend," the old looking vampire called from inside the room.

'Crap,' Wren thought, 'caught again.' "Yes Sir," she replied, walking over to where he stood.

When she was stood infront of the vampire, who looked around 40 or 50 years old, although it was impossible to tell how old he actually was, he began to speak.

"You were not in your lesson this morning child, would you care to explain yourself?"

They always called her child, all of them. That or 'Chosen One'. 'All except the High Master...and him, of course,' Wren thought.

Wren stood before the vampire who was clearly her teacher, and long suffering at that, and answered politely, "I'm very sorry Sir, but I'm afraid I was distracted by Maltheus. He was talking about the crusades and I became quite entranced. He gives such detailed descriptions of the eviscerations."

Her teacher studied her closely for a few moments before accepting her explanation, " Well, just make sure it doesn't happen again. I know Maltheus can talk well, but often his accounts are not particularly accurate, and you must learn about demon lore and practices. It's an integral part of your training. Now, get on with you, and I expect to see you in the training room at 9 AM sharp tomorrow for weapons practice, you understand."

"Yes Sir. Thank you Sir!" Wren replied with a sweet smile, before turning and walking away. A smug smile came to her face that she had, once again, so effortlessly been able to get out of one of her more boring lessons, and had instead managed to spend the afternoon exploring the vast grounds of the mansion.

As she walked into her room, closing the door behind her, she didn't notice the dark figure who watched her from the shadows, an unreadable expression on his face.

-+-

Wren paused again in her story and indicated to Spike to ask any questions he might have.

"Look, I'm still not quite getting this pet. I mean, you're telling me that you were brought up by a cult of vampires and they give you someone who sounds like an undead version of Giles as a teacher? Then go all Watcher's Council on you with the whole teaching and training. Just all sounds a bit unbelieveable to me."

"Yeah, that's what I'm telling you. Whether you believe it or not isn't my problem, but!" she said, interupting him as he was about to speak again, I understand that you may need a bit of back story first to fully understand what's going on."

"Might be useful, yeah."

"OK then," said Wren, settling back into her chair. "Basic run down. Got kidnapped by vampires, taken to a place in the middle of no where and raised by them, learning all about demon history and lore and the insignificance of humans. You know, standard vampire crap. As well as this there was also the whole physical training thing. As you've already witnessed, I'm not so bad at taking care of myself."

Spike grunted affirmative, and Wren continued.

"But still, I guess I'm not really explaining why...kinda leaving you with a big 'What's this all about' type question in your head?"

"Pretty much pet, yeah."

"Hmm, thought so," Wren picked up her coffee and brought it to her lips, but before she took a sip looked at Spike and said "How familiar are you with prophecies?" 


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve - Prophecy Girl

For once that night, Spike didn't go completely dumb at what the girl was saying to him. Instead he came back with and instant, and very vehmenant "Oh hell no! No! There is absolutely no way I am getting involved with more bloody prophecies."

"Spike, calm down," said Wren, calmly, "this isn't a prophecy about you...It's about me."

Spike paused mid-tirade. "Oh. Right then. Sorry, it's just I've kinda had my fill of them this last year or so."

"Yeah, I get that. So you want me to explain or should I start moving to minimum safe distance?"

"No, sorry love, please, carry on."

"OK, so, prophecy right? How do I explain this clearly?" Wren paused and looked speculative for a moment, but Spike didn't press her to answer.

"The vampires, that night, in England, they kidnapped me because they'd found out from some dark magic bloke that I was a part of this prophecy. Y'see...it's...well..." For the first time that night, Wren found it difficult to make her words, and stumbled into a troubled silence. She took a deep breath, and started again.

"As you already know, I'm a slayer, right?" SPike nodded, and she continued. "Right, so, with slayers it's sometimes possible to tell that they have the potenial, that they're just waiting to be called. Well, that's what happened to me, trouble was, the cult found out about me before the Watchers Council did and staged by death."

"So the watchers came looking for you, but thought you were dead." Spike interupted

"I guess so. Chances are that they just never knew about me in the first place. Anyway, they took me in and raised me, as I've already said. They figured if they could train the slayer in the manner of a demon from a young enough age, they could have themselves a very powerful warrior when she was called, and the whole pesky morality thing wouldn't matter. Nurture over nature, sorta thing."

Spike nodded, but then his brow furrowed and he asked, "But how exactly did they know that they would get a slayer out of this? I mean, chances were that you'd just be another of the countless girls who weren't ever called, right?"

"Well, yes, that would be true. But you're forgetting, prophecy."

"Ah, yeah. Say no more. Or, rather, carry on."

"Yeah, see, here's where we get down to the real crux, nub and point of the matter. This prophecy said that there would be a girl, part slayer, but also part...something else, that would become stronger than any fighter before her. A great destroyer, a bringer of death, destruction and untold horror. And that's me."

Wren paused and watched what she said sink in to Spike's head. His blank expression broke into a disbelieveing smile and she frowned at his response.

"No way, I mean, no offense love, but you're hardly the most fearsome person I've met. I mean, even Angel's scarier than you...again, no offense."

"Yeah, that's what they all say," Wren said in a dejected tone, before grinning evilly and adding "right up until I throw them through the nearest wall."

Spike raised his eyebrows at this, and his mind replayed the events of the night. It seemed hours ago since he had watched the fight in the alley, and after spending time with Wren he had completely forgotten that she had been the one who had taken on over twenty demons on her own with absolutely no difficulty. He blinked and looked at Wren with an expression of mixed puzzlement, fear and awe.

"Yeah, that was you wasn't it...I mean, you did that."

"Yes I did, and believe me, that was nothing," said Wren, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

"So," she continued, "I guess that's still not really the whole story. The propecy had more to it than a simple promise...there was a ritual...a binding of two spirits, resulting in the creation of..."

"You," Spike finsished. "So what exactly was this ritual?"

Wren's eyes began to lose focus, as if reading something only she could see, and when she spoke her voice was distant and hesitant.

"The Chosen One shall be called when the Mouth of Hell is destroyed in the Valley of the Sun. She shall be merged with her enemy and will rise again to live as Darkness and Light combined to bring Death to the World."

"The Mouth of Hell..." Spike repeated, "But that means...you were called when Red did the whole Slayer mojo thing! That's how they knew they would get a slayer from a potential!"

"Pretty much," Wren said, rather more quietly than she had been before.

"But, Darkness and Light...merged with her enemy? What does that-" Spike broke off mid sentence, his eyes going wide in realisation. "But, that must mean that you're..."

"Yeah," said Wren, taking another breath before continuing, "I'm a Vampire." 


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen - Preparation; One Word Said Three Times.

"You're a vampire? You're a vampire!" Spike shouted, before being quieted by Wren's sharp "Shhhh!"

"You're a vampire!" he said again in a harsh whisper.

"Yeah, I think we covered that part already," Wren said, starting to get a bit angry.

"But, you're alive! I can hear you're heart doing the whole beating thing!"

"Well...that part might need a little more explanation."

England, 2002, Oxfordshire, April.

"And you're sure, it will be soon?" said the younger looking Vampire

"All the signs point to the prophecy being carried out exactly as was foretold. The Hellmouth will be destroyed next month and the ritual will take place." said the other occupant of the room, a slightly older looking Vampire wearing glasses and dark red ceremonial robes.

"Then someone should tell the Master."

"He is already fully aware of the situation. He is speaking with the child now. Assessing whether she is truly ready for the change."

The younger vampire waited before speaking quietly, "And if she isn't?"

"We have been training her for the last sixteen years! She will be ready!"

-+-

Wren walked up to the large oak doors she had become so familiar with over her years in the mansion. Today was the first day she was to be allowed to pass through them, to speak to the Master in his private chambers. She knocked without hesitation, and walked in confidently when she was called.

Inside the room was almost entitely dark, except for a small area at the far end where a patch of the carpet was lit by a huge log fire. Wren considered this a very stupid thing for a vampire to have in their room, but did not give much thought to the matter.

In front of the fire was a large leather chair. Next to it stood a man...or rather, male vampire, with whom she was all too familiar. He was tall, but not enormous, with shoulder length blonde hair. He wore plain blue jeans and a black sweater and was remarkable only for his unusually normal dress sense. Everyone else in the cult was far more eccentric in their clothing, while he preferred to remain as nondescript as posible. He was standing with his back to the door through which she had entered, leaning over so that he may talk quietly with the occupant of the chair. As Wren approached, she saw a long, think hand wave the vampire away and beckon her to step closer.

The vampire turned and left the room, walking past Wren. As they crossed paths, he gave her a look of barely concealed malice, which she returned in kind. There was no love lost between these two.

"Wren, please join me," the figure in the chair spoke.

Wren walked over to the right and side of the chair and kneeled with her head bowed, as she had been instucted to do. Holding her hand out she spoke in a low and reverent tone.

"Master, I beseech you let me look upon you and hold council, for you are truly wise and great." Wren spoke with the formality of someone who has been told exactly what to say, and threatened with what would happen if she was anything other than servile.

The Master took her hand and spoke in a strangely kindly manner, "Come now child, no need for such formality, eh?"

With that, Wren looked up for the first time and into the eyes of the figure seated before her.

What she saw was the same she had seen almost every day for sixteen years. A vampire of uncountable age, with long grey hair, dazling blue eyes and a face which, although aged, did nothing to reveal the true number of years it had seen. Some people said this Master was one of the remaining Old Ones on Earth. Others said he was even older than that. To Wren this did not matter. To her this man, this demon, was the closest thing to a father she had ever known and, although she knew she did not love him, he had a place in her heart which no one else could ever have.

"Well, then," he said, moving to stand up and walk towards the fire, gesturing for Wren to join him, "I suppose you are wondering why I called to meet with you in here, rather than in the Great Hall, yes?"

"Yes sir, when Julian said you wanted to see me, I was affraid I'd done something to displease you."

"Now Wren, we both know that could never be the case," the Master said, smiling fondly on his protoge. "I called you here, because the time of your calling is almost at hand."

Wren did not react to this. She had been aware for months that she would soon become a slayer, and about the prophecy for years before that. Instead she simply replied "Yes Sir."

"I just wanted to know how you are dealing with the last few days of your training. I know that Edward has been training you hard this past few weeks."

Wren nodded in response to this and added "Yes Sir, but I have been enjoying the challenge."

"Yes, I'm sure you have. You really are a remarkable girl Wren. I await the time after the ritual with great anticipation."

Unsure of how to repond, Wren said nothing. She had no thoughts either way about the fulfilment of the prophecy, it was simply the way things were and had always been.

The Master continued, "As for the ritual itself, I'm sure you are aware that it will be I who carries out the required tasks. Seth will naturally be there to ensure nothing goes wrong, but..."

At the mention of the other vampire's name, Wrens expression immediately darkened, and her fists clenched, something with did not escape the Master's notice.

"Ah, yes. I see the two of you have still not managed to resolve your differences."

"I'll resolve mine as soon as he resolves to stop trying to kill me," Wren answered, anger and hatred clear in her words.

"Yes, it is quite reprehensible, this vendetta he has against you. But you seem to hold your own quite well against him?"

"Well enough, Sir," Wren replied, but said no more on the matter.

"Very good then. As I was saying, the ritual should be a simple matter of you drinking from me at the exact moment you are called as the Slayer. After that it shouldn't be any time before the full effect of the merging takes place and you are imbued with your new powers."

"Yes, Sir," Wren said politely.

The Master studied her for a moment longer, before turning his attention back to the fire.

"Very good. Well, I'm sure you will have a lot of preparation to be doing before then. Seth tells me that I certainly will, so I must take my rest. Good Evening Wren."

At her clear dismissal, Wren turned and left the room the same way she had entered. She turned left to return to her room, but was grabbed by a tight hand on her shoulder and was spun around quickly to face her assailant. Powerless to break his grip she was forced to look into the startling green eyes of the person who she loathed above all others, his eyes reflecting the hatred she had in her own hazel ones.

"How wonderful to see you child," he growled, putting emphasis on the last word. "Did we have a nice little chat with daddy?"

Wren struggled uselessly, before replying, her words shaking with anger. "He's not my father."

"No, but he soon will be, wont he? Soon the Master's precious little girl will be a big bad slayer, and then everyone shall bow before her."

"You think I care about this Seth. You think I actually care how you, any of you, feel about me? I don't. But as soon as the ritual is done, you will wish you had never been born, let alone turned."

Both stood, facing each other, trying to stare their opponent down, Seth growling in a dangerous tone the whole time, but it did no good. Both knew they could never hurt the other. Wren because of her inferior strength, and Seth because the entire order worshiped the ground the girl walked on, a fact which made him sick.

Seth finally broke and forcefully pushed Wren away so that she stumbled back a few paces.

"Ok then, precious," he spat the word out as though it were poison, "have it your way. But just don't count your chickens before they hatch. After all this goes down who knows who's going to have the power around here? And what they might have in their mind to do with it."

With that, Seth turned and stalked off down the corridor, leaving a confused and shaking Wren behind him.

After a few moments of staring after her nemesis, Wren turned and angrily stormed back to her room, slamming the door behind her.

-+-

"So there you go," Wren finished explaining, "It was a case of your basic 'Girl gets called, girl gets turned, ooh lookie a half vampire, half slayer killing machine' kind of deal. With a bit more magic and ritual thrown in for good measure."

"OK, I get the whole ritual turning thing. Combining the essence of the Slayer with the essence of a super powerful Master vampire would lead to a big pile of trouble. But you're still not telling me how you turned out the way you are pet. I mean, as far as I can tell you're not some blood crazed killing machine working for a cult of vampires..." Spike paused and looked at Wren speculatively,"are you?"

"Hmmm...maybe..." Wren teased. At his stunned look she continued, "No dumbass I'm not a...whatever it was you just said."

"So I ask my original question. What are you?"

"Well, me telling you that that would require two things."

"Such as...?"

"Another flashback moment...and a very large piece of chocolate cake," she said, fake sweet smile firmly in place.

Spike sighed, and put up his hand to catch the waitress' attention. 


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen - Wanna Hear A Secret?

Wren sat back after finishing off the last of her chocolate cake, a self satisfied smile on her lips. Spike watched her for a moment before speaking up.

"So then pet, what exactly is the deal with this ritual? If you are who you say you are, why aren't you off causing destrucion and mayhem? Not that that's necessarliy a bad thing," he added with a smirk.

"Oh yeah. Well, the day of the ritual came. Did the whole cleansing with oils stuff, a little chanting, then drank some of the Master's blood and boom!" she said, making a little exploding jesture with her hands "here I am, half slayer half vampire. Not that I actaully exploded mind. And as for the whole being alive thing...well, I guess because I never actually died I'm technically not undead. But I most certainaly am a vampire. Got the membership card to prove it.!

"So what about everything else. Crosses, sunlight...blood?"

"Well, I do still have the whole thing where I don't like being beheaded, staked or set on fire...but then, who doesn't right? As for crosses and sunlight, I like to think of a cross as a handy accessory, and I hope my skin is at least mildly tanned."

"And the blood?" Spike repeated in a low tone.

"Never wanted it. Never want to want it, therefore never going to have it. I'm on a strictly non-haemo diet."

"But drinking blood is what makes us vampires love, you can't be one without the other."

Wren smiled and leaned in closer to Spike. "Let me tell you a secret," she said, gesturing him to move closer. Spike did so, and just as their noses reached a few inches apart, Wren's hand darted forward and grabbed the front of his t-shirt, pulling him even closer. As she brought her eyes level with his, Spike saw the greeny-brown of her iris's transform into a familiar amber colour, and the skin around her brows morph into the tell-tale ridges.

Wren smiled around her elongated canines and said, very quietly, "I don't know or care what makes vampires, I only know what I am. And nothing can change that," she added, in what Spike would almost have thought as a bitter tone, if it had not been for her continuing smile.

Wren released Spike and immediately shifted back into her human face, grimacing slightly as she did so. Spike settled himself back into his chair and smoothed down the front of his shirt.

"Yeah, I can see that. Got the temper to match it too, haven't you ducks?"

The girl shrugged lopsidedly, playing with the fork on the plate in front of her. "I am what I am. Just don't like people telling me differently is all."

Spike could see that he wasn't going to get much further pressing the matter with her at the moment, so let it drop. 'So, she's got a bit of demon in her?' he thought. 'Guess that's no more than any other slayer can say, even if hers is just a little more up-front.'

"So that's it then," he said out loud. "Nothing else you want to let me in on?"

"Well, yeah, I guess I should probably let you know that the vampire cult guys made one little mistake about me. They always assumed that a slayer which had technically become a vampire would be evil, very much down on the dark side. Turns out they sort of made the wrong assumption. Yeah I'm part vampire...part 'evil' if you want to call it that," she said, rolling her eyes and making little air-quotes, "but I'm also part slayer. I have a soul, or so I'm reliably informed, which means I kinda make my decisions as I go along, just like anybody else. I don't have to be 'bad' or 'good' just because that's the side I'm on, I just do what I think is right, like every other human does day in, day out. In some ways, I'm more human than any of the other slayers because I don't just have this one aspect of morality governing my nature. I could go either way."

"Some people wouldn't necessarily call that a good thing, love."

"Yeah, well, some people are idiots."

"Couldn't have put it better myself. More coffee?"

"Nah, thanks. The better part of my nature tells me that we should probably be heading back. I'm just so looking forward to telling this story all over again!"

With that, the vampire and the half vampire, half slayer, threw some money down onto the table and left the dark cafe, and headed out into the nearing dawn.

-+-

About an hour previously, somewhere in LA

After leaving the alley, Angel began to pick up his pace, having a strong trail to follow in the form of Wren's and Spike's scents. It was clear that the two were moving with more purpose after the battle with the demons, as the trail did not move around as much as it had previousy. Instead it headed directly out of the worst part of the city and into the slightly better lit streets. Angel began to notice signs of a more human civilisation, such as small shops and the occasional badly vandilised bus shelter. After he had been walking for a short while, Wren's course deviated, and Angel found himself faced with the small cafe that the girl and Spike had left only minutes earlier. Brow furrowing in confusion, Angel stepped through the door.

As soon as he was inside, he met the same sight that had so intregued Spike. The cafe was a little quieter now that the night was drawing to a close, its visitors not wanting to be caught outside in the day time. Moving to sit in the same place where Spike and Wren had been, mind working overtime trying to figure out exactly what was going on, Angel began to think. 'OK, so if I take it for granted that Spike is being controlled somehow and has kidnapped Wren, why would he bring her to a place like this? And why would she just sit here...and eat chocolate cake!' he thought, smelling the air. 'None of this makes sense. I have to get back to Wolfram and Hart and find out if anyone's heard anything from them.'

Just as he was standing up to leave, the same elderly waitress came over and spoke to him.

"Hey hun, can I take your order?"

"Erm...no. I mean, wait! Do you remember a girl and a guy sitting here a while ago?"

"We get lots of people in here that fit that description sugar."

"These would have been different. Er, English, both blonde, one very blonde, also slighlty...pale?"

"Oh, you mean the girl that was here with that nice young vampire, yes?"

Angel paused for a minute, wondering if in 120 years Spike had ever been called a 'nice young' anything, let alone vampire. "You knew he was a vampire?"

"Well, yes sweetie. Look around, we get our fair share of 'different' customers in here, just like yourself."

Angel looked around at the few remaining diners for the first time, and wondered how he had not noticed the highly conspicuous demons before. They didn't even seem to be trying to conceal themselves.

"Yeah, I guess you do," Angel said, in a slightly distant voice. He returned his attention to the woman next to him an said "Do you know how long ago they left?"

"Can't have been more than twenty minutes ago," said the waitress, giving Angel a weary smile, before returning to her chair in the opposite corner of the cafe.

Angel got up quickly and left the building. Once outside he caught Wren's scent, much stronger than it had been before, and he knew he was getting closer. He followed it for a short while, before realising that he was being led straight back into the centre of the city. A few minutes later he was finally sure of his destination, and didn't even pause to think when the trail he had been following took him straight back into Wolfram and Hart.

-+-

When the elevator doors opened, Angel strode straight across the foyer and burst through the doors into his office. Unfortunately, the first thing he saw was Spike, and his focus immediately zoned in on the blonde vampire. Spike didn't even have time for a sarky greeting, before he was pushed up against the wall by his very pissed off Sire.

"What did you do to her Spike? Did you think I wouldn't find out? Where. Is. She?" Angel growled, punctuating each word with a punch to Spike's face.

Spike was just about to fight back, when the attention of both vampires was caught by a small, yet clear, voice.

"Erm, Angel?"

Angel turned around slowly and saw someone stand up out of an armchair, which had been facing away from the door through which he had made his dramatic entrance. It took a moment for him to recognise the girl stood in front of him, as she looked so different from the shy, withdrawn figure he had seen only a few hours before.

"Angel, let him go," Wren said, calmly. "If you want to fight anyone, fight me. But before you do, let me tell you a story." 


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen - Aftermath, Before Biology.

For the second time in as many days, the assembled members of the Wolfram and Hart executives sat dumbfounded, staring at th person in the middle of the room. This ime, however, Angel was once of them, his face projecting a look of mixed confusion and growing concern at what he was hearing. Spike was, as usual, stood in the corner, cigarette in hand, apparently completely unphased by what he was hearing. He, after all, had heard it all before.

"So, yeah. I'm a vampire, Spike will attest to that. I have power greater than any vampire of slayer before me and I'm here to help you. I think that's pretty much it," Wren finished.

She stood silently for a moment, waiting for the disbelieving reactions and accusations which were obviously to come from every memberof the room. Questions which she had had to answer many times before and was getting all too tired of hearing.

No one spoke for over a minute, and Wren began to grow more tense as the time passed, but still maintained her calm, composed appearance. Then, as expected, Wesley spoke up, but what he said shocked Wren a great deal.

"Yes, I suppose that would make a lot of sense."

Everyone, besides Angel, turned to look at this contribution from the ex-watcher. The dark haired vampire instead rose from his seat and went to stare out the window.

"What do you mean Wes?" Fred asked.

"Well, during my time as a watcher I read several books of demon lore, many of which concerened with one kind of apocalypse or another, but there was one very obscure text," he paused for a moment, brow furrowing with thought, "the name of which escapes me, but it contained some very shady details of a ritual involving something very much like what Wren has just described. It talked about...a bonding of two spirits and...a communion of good and evil intertwined in the body of a great warrior. It didn;t mention who this person would be, but I can't think of anyone better suited than a Slayer."

All eyes turned back to Wren, still slightly shocked at the idea of someone believing her so easily. Normally getting anyone to understand what she was saying involved a long process of argument and counter-argument, and usually ended in Wren throwing the person through a wall as means of a demonstration. After that few people were in any sort of position to doubt her. In this case, however, it seemed this was not going to be necessary, and Wren was suprised to find she was relieved she wasn't going to have to use violence against any of these people. After all, they'd been nothing but kind and understanding to her since she had arrived, and she wasn't made of stone.

"Erm...yeah, that would be...erm...me," Wren provided, feeling slightly silly for feeling the need to clarify that fact.

"so what-" Wesley started, but was interupted by Angel, who was still looking out of the window.

"What happened to the vampires?"

Everyone turned to look at the previously silent vampire at this, including Wren who said, "I'm sorry?"

"After the ritual," Angel clarified, voice low and even, turning around to face her, "what happened to the cultand their leader."

Wren went silent for a moment, she looked at her feet and her eyes glazed over as if looking back in time. When she rased her head again she tried to look calm, but clearly something was troubling her.

"I killed them," she said softly, meeting Angel's gaze dead on.

"What?" Wesley said, slightly stunned.

"I killed them."

"When? You mean..." Wesley added, eyes going wide in realisation

"Yes," Wren said, eyes never leaving the vampire at the window, "I killed them. All of them. Right then, right there. I was called, and turned, and an hour later only I was left alive," she at laughed a small, mirthless laugh, "well, I was the only one left standing anyway."

"But...how?" Fred asked, aghast.

Wren took her eyes off Angel and looked at the other woman, once again composed and in full explanation mode. "After the ritual was completed I passed out for, well it coudn't have been more than a few minutes. Anyway, after that I don't remember anything, except deep, seething rage...and the power," her voice took on a distant tone. "There was so much power. I wasn't in control, couldn't have been. I had no idea what I was doing. All I could feel was the anger boiling inside me. Deep, dark, something ancient and evil. But also something else, just as old, but it was like a blinding white light, I couldn't see it was so bright. And it was angry too, furious for what those monsters had done to me, what they had made me become. And it wanted vengence. And it got it. The next clear thought I remember is standing in the middle of a shattered room, covered in blood, but not my blood. And dust, so much dust...and there at my feet was him..." She broke off and her eyes went wide for a moment, and almost tearful.

"Who?" said Angel, who had not been struck speechless like the others.

"The Master. He was there, almost unconscious. I don't remember hurting him, but he had his throat almost ripped out. He was in so much pain and I...I..."

"You pitied him," Angel finished.

Wren nodded. "It was so strange. Before all I had felt was revulsion at the things which had violated me. Taken my life away. But then I saw him, so broken...and I couldn't stand to see it. So I staked him. My first real kill as Slayer. And as he dusted he looked at me with such pain and betrayal in his eyes...and you know what I felt?"

Angel shook his head.

Wren smiled a humorless smile, "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Here was the man...ha...who had been as close to a father as I'm ever going to have, and to see him disappear from existance made me feel absolutely nothing. Guess I'm a Slayer after all yeah?" Wren finished bitterly, throwing herself down on the chair behind her and staring blankly into space.

Everyone in the room, including Spike, looked stunned by this little speech, except for Angel, who moved over and crouched next to where Wren was sitting. He stared he straight in the face and held her gaze while he spoke. "Wren, I don't understand you. Everything about you is completely new to me. I don't see how it should be possible, but it is. I can only imagine what your life has been like, and to be honest I'd rather not, but what happened on that day was nothing that you should be scared of. It's clear to me that you have more power than you could possibly know how to control, and that worries me. I won't lie to you, the thought of having such a powerful weapon around that could go off at any minute frightens me more than I'd like. But when you first came here I said I would protect you, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. If that means that I have to protect you from yourself, that so be it. You were sent here to be trained, and while, from what you say, there is absoluelty nothing I can teach you as far as fighting is concerened, I might be able to help you control what's going on inside. I know more than anyone what it's like to have something inside you which is forever trying to destroy you and find it's way to the surface, but it can be controled and used, in time. So will you let me, Wren? Will you let me, and us, all of us, help you?"

Wren sat silently, the other vampire's words appearing to settle into her mind. After a moment her faced seemed to clear, and she smiled a full, confident smile, full of relief and thankfulness and said, "Yeah, I guess I could do that." 


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 - Tick Tick Boom?

After the emotional scenes in Angel's office, Wren decided she wanted to take a break from the spotlight for a while, and retreated to her room. When she had first arrived with Fred only the day before, she had been truly awe-struck by how beautiful the apartment was, and was determined to get as much use out of it as possible. 'Especially that training room,' she thought, with no small amount of glee, 'that will come in handy!'

She had just walked into the kitchen area to investigate the contents of the fridge, when she became aware of someone stood behind her, on the other side of the room.

"Certainly a cosy place you've got here, love."

Without turning around, Wren responded, "Anyone tell you, Spike, that sneaking up on people is very rude?"

"No, generally they're too dead to say anything much," Spike said, smirking and walking further into the room, sitting down on one of the chairs around the dining table.

"Sure, whatever," Wren said, her tone oozing sarcasm. Opening the fridge door she peered in at the contents, suprised to find that someone had had the foresight to store a couple of blood packets in there, as well as more traditional forms of food. 'Just in case Angel decided to stop by for a drink, I guess,' Wren thought with a smile.

Taking one of the packs out and holding it up so Spike could see, she asked "Fancy a drink?"

Smiling himself, he replied "Sure love. Don't suppose you've got any Weetabix have you?"

"Erm...no, and I'm not even going to ask why you'd want them," Wren said, a small grimace passing over her face as she pictured just what they might be needed for.

"Pity. But yeah, sure, why not."

Opening the blood and emptying it out into a mug, Wren put the whole lot in the microwave and set it going. Moving back over to the fridge she grabbed herself a Coke and waited for the microwave to finish. Once the blood was heated to an ideal 98.6, Wren went and sat down across the table from Spike, placing the mug in front of him.

"Cheers, love," Said Spike, taking a sip and savouring the taste.

"So, not that I'm complaining or anything, but why exactly have you stopped by? And how did you get in? I didn't hear the door," Wren asked, with a slightly accusatory tone.

"Used the same door you did love...or should that be window? And as for the social call, well, after that little show downstairs there was something I wanted to ask."

"Ah, marvelous, more questions," said Wren, clearly entirely unthrilled by the prospect. "Ask away," she prompted with a wave of her hand.

"Very kind. So what I was thinking, pet, was that if you'd killed all these demons and got all the ancient mojo working, how come we didn't hear about it sooner?

"Ah, what I think you mean is, 'Why didn't Buffy tell us about it?' am I right?"

Laughing slightly, Spike replied, "Nothing gets past you, does it? Yeah, I suppose that's what I'm saying."

"Well, she did't tell you about me, quite simply, because she doesn't know. No one knows, except you guys."

"How exactly did that happen then?"

"Well, after I went all psyco-crazy and killed everyone within a 500 metre radius, there was pretty much no one left to tell the tale."

"That's pretty much a given, yeah."

"And then, well, a few months later I guess some news must have got out about demons being killed in the area, or a seer must have seed me, 'cause Buffy and Co showed up at my door looking for a Slayer."

"And then what happened?"

"I hid."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I was quite happy living my solitary existance of occasional demon killing fun, and didn't particularly want to be found out."

"Why's that then pet?"

"As soon as people know that you exist, they start coming up with new and inventve ways to kill you, or control you. Not really my thing. As far as the world was concerned I didn't exist. Some storied got out about a massive vampire cult being taken out by some kind of hell-warrior, demons don't let silly things like facts and evidence get in the way of a good story, and people are kinda disinclined to come near something which could end in them being all kinds of dead."

"I can see that. So if you hid from them, how did you end up here?"

"Well, bloody persistant lot that they are, they kept coming back. Each time with some new kind of locator spell to try and find me. I mean I'd been living in this place for nearly a year on my own,and my entire life before that, so I knew all the good places to hide, but eventually I just ran out of luck."

"So they found you then. How long did that take?"

"Couple of weeks. To be honest by the end I was getting a bit bored of hiding under floorboards and behind walls, the cobwebs were awful! So, anyway, one day I just thought 'Well, I guess I'd better face up to this,' I mean, if they'd found me hiding I'd never have been able to live it down, and that's not the sort of reputation I was looking for."

Spike laughed at this, shaking his head slightly in amusement, "You really do have a unique perspective on things don't you. I like that. Reminds me of me."

"Oh please don't start on that prodigal child crap," Wren said, smiling, "I get enough of that from Angel."

"Sorry love, please, go on."

"Anyway, they show up and I let myself get found. I go for the whole cowering in the corner, terrified out of my life routine. Start babbling some nonsense about a beast, or a monster, or something like that. Guess they must have heard the rumours too, 'cause they thought that what ever it was that killed the vampires must have taken me captive. So we rush out of there pretty damn quickly, and next thing I know I'm in London, in some posh flat, being told that I'm a Slayer and they were going to take care of me blah blah blah."

"Yeah, that sounds like the way it generally goes," Spike said, remembering back to the time a few years ago when the Scoobies had first started on their mission to find the Potentials. "But then, why did they send you here? I thought Rupes' New Council would be perfectly able to handle one more Slayer."

"They wanted to, they certainly did, but there was no way I was hanging around there any longer than I had to. Not spending the next God knows how long having a load of touchy-feely types try to help me channel my inner something-or-other, so I played the crazy card. Eventually they sent for some witch or other to come read my aura, and she really didn't like what she saw. She couldn't tell them exactly what I was, but she said there was a great evil lurking in my future, and if I stayed there I would bring about destrustion for them all. Personally I thought that was a little over dramatic, but it got the point across."

"So they sent you here! Oh great! Bloody wonderful!"

"Pretty much, yeah. I think the reasoning was 'two vampires with souls should know quite a bit about containing inner evil so they could probably be of the most help to her. And then if I she does bring about Armageddon then at least it would be inside an evil law firm.'"

Spike snorted in disgust, "Great, bloody fantastic. Here I thought we were being trusted with some important duty, instead we're playing baby sitter to a ticking time bomb."

"Hey!"

"Sorry love. I just meant you're a fairly big potential threat."

"What? No not the bomb part, the first bit. I don't need a bloody baby sitter!"

"Oh. Right. Sorry."

"Damn straight," Wren said in a commanding tone, but she was smiling while she sad it.

"So, why did you carry on acting the way you were when you go here? Or should I ask why you let us find out that wasn't the truth, not very covert of you."

"Why did I keep up the act?" asked Wren, incredulous, "I've been studying demon lore for the last 18 months, you think I've never heard of the Wolf, the Ram and the Hart? As far as I was concerened I was being led into the belly of the beast, couldn't afford to let the most powerful organisation in te underworld find out about me. That's like number one on my 'What not do to' list."

"Ok, fine," Spike sighed "I get that we're not exactly trusted around here. But the why, not even having the chance to find out whether we were dangerous, did you let your secret drop so quickly?"

"Well for one you guys quite blatantly needed my help," said Wren with a smirk. Spike opened his mouth to reply, but Wren cut in "And! I wasn't expecting to be found out so quickly. I figured the screaming crying act should have bought me at least an hour or two of peace before you were brave enough to come into my room. Honestly haven't you people heard of giving a distraught girl some space!"

"We were worried about you is all" Spike nearly said calmly, "We've had one too many experiences with criminally insane slayers to risk another one getting out and doing some serious damage," during this little speech, Wren noticed Spike had started to rub his wrists alternatingly, and was now gazing down at them with a distant look on his face.

She smiled a small, sympathetic smile. "Yeah, I heard about Dana. It was one of the arguments against my coming here. Don't worry Spike, all of your bits and pieces are perfectly safe with me," she said with a wink. "Promise."

Spike grinned mischeviously at this, but didn't take the subject any further. 'This girl could turn out to be alright,' he thought.

Wren went back to her drink and settled back in her chair, while Spike finished off his now much cooler blood. An easy silence fell over the room, and a small amount of trust began to grow between the Slayer and the vampire. 


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen - Ready Or Not?

Three days after arriving at Wolfram and Hart, and Wren was already feeling much more comfortable in her new surroundings. One could say too comfortable.

"Hey, Angel babe could you possibly get me a soda on your way out?" Wren shouted from her place in front of the TV.

Angel had been in her apartment, trying to discuss with her some kind of training schedule, as he was eager to find out whether what Spike said about her fighting ability was true. His plans were quickly thwarted, however, when Wren informed him of her current unfortunate situation.

"Yeah, not right now Angel, England are playing a friendly against Germany and it looks like it's going to extra time so- oh COME ON ref! Are you BLOODY BLIND! He practically decapitated the poor sod! Oh PLEASE! You're giving him a yellow card for THAT TAP?! Aw FIX! Bloody cheating-"

And so it went on, and as fifteen minutes past, in which Angel became even more confused about the finer points of football and its fans, he decided to give up and try another time.

'After all, these things have to finish some time...don't they?' he thought, just as the word 'penalties' drifted up from the depths of him cerebrum.

Closing the door behind him and walking down the coridoor, Angel almost walked into Spike, who was rounding the corner from the lift carrying a six pack of beer and a bag of Doritos.

"Oi! Bloody watch where you're walking mate. So, the beautiful game not to your tastes eh?"

"You're the one that nearly flattened me, and what exactly is so beautiful about-" he paused as a huge scream of "You STUPID BLOODY WANKER!!!!" came through Wren's door, "-that," he finished.

"Whatever, just because you turned ex-pat a good two centuries ago does not give you an excuse not to know even the slightest bit about one of your national pass times."

"Save the sports lesson, Spike. Where exactly are you going with that?" Angel said, pointing to the beer.

"Present for the lady." Another scream, this time one of apparent joy. "Well, woman certainly...or possibly just female."

"It may have escaped your notice but she does happen to be under age."

"And how would you know that?"

"C'mon Spike, I'm not falling for any of that crap."

"I'm just saying we don't actually know how old she is...maybe that ritual wotsit means she's a lot older than she's letting on, ever think of that?"

"What? Now you're definitely talking crazy."

"I'm just saying is all-"

"Yeah, I get it. Just forget about it, all right?" Angel said, stalking off towards the stairs.

"Ooh, look who woke up on the wrong side of his ego this morning!" Spike jeered, hoping to get a rise, and of course succeeding

Angel turned and confronted the blonde once more, "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Except that maybe you ought to give the girl a chance to work out her own life before you start trying to do it for her."

"I am NOT trying to rule her life!" Angel shouted.

"Hmm, me thinks the lady doth protest too much," Spike smirked.

"Why can I never have a sensible conversation with you?"

"Just the way I was made, I guess, and you should know, being the one that made me."

"Don't remind me."

Angel turned once again, but paused when he felt Spike watching him.

"I just, I don't know what to do with her," he said quietly.

Spike stood silent for a moment, brow furrowed in thought and head tilted to one side. After a few seconds he spoke.

"Well, maybe try asking her what she wants to do, because at the moment I can tell you she's bored out of her mind."

"What?"

"Well, think about it. She was sent here by Buffy for you to train her. As we both know that's ever so slightly pointless there's really no reason for her to be here."

"So what? I should just kick her out on the street?"

"Did I say that? Just give a bloke a chance to finish a sentece here would you?"

"Sorry."

"Right, well, as I was saying; she's spent most of the last two years with no real purpose in life, except moping round a sodding great country house with nothing but the spiders for company."

"So what do you suggest?" said Angel in an irritated tone.

"What I suggest is that maybe you give the girl a chance to do something other than sit and watch the teley with yours truly. Let her be the slayer for a change."

"But how do we know if she's ready."

"Well, you might want to start by asking her," said a third voice.

Spike turned around, Angel looking over his shoulder, and say Wren stood in the middle of the coridoor with a quizzical and slightly amuzed, if not impatient, look on her face.

"And try to remember the fact that 'she' can hear you through a lot more than a layer of drywall."

"Wren, look, I'm sorry if it seems like we don't trust you but-" Angel started.

"But you don't," Wren interrupted, "and that's OK, I guess it just means I'm going to have to prove myself," she said, a big and entirely evil grin coming to her face, "and that sounds like what I call fun!" 


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen - Fighting Fit, Running Scared.

The three combatants stood in the middle of the training room, light pouring through the high windows, and the specially enchanted glass, forming bright squares of colour on the floor. On one side of the room stood Angel and Spike, side by side by a fair distance apart. Spike had a put-upon expression on his face as it had taken quite a lot of persuasion, and eventually bribing from Angel to get him to perticipate.

"No offense mate, but you've gone completely gaga. I've seen the girl fight, and I don't particularly fancy getting my ass handed to me by yet another Slayer, if it's all the same to you. Grew out of that a while back," Spike had protested.

"And you think It's going to be any good me fighting her alone? You said it yourself, she's much better than both of us, and if I'm going to get any idea of what she can do I need to see her at least a little challenged," Angel replied.

"And you really think that two vamps will be a challenge for her!"

"What I think is that we're both a lot older than she is, bound to have picked up a few things she won't be expecting. Not to mention we've been fighting together for nearly 130 years."

"Not always on the same side," Spike muttered with a smirk.

Angel chose to ignore him, "So we probably have some shot of at least giving her a run for her money. Are you in?"

Spike pondered this for a moment.

"No."

"Spike!" Angel growled, "What is it gonna take to get through to you?"

"You're not the one who nearly got thrown through the bloody wall last week! Seriously I'm not going to do it!"

"It's not like she's going to hurt us! Why would she?"

"Because she's a bloody PSYCOPATH, that's why!"

"So that's why you like her so much then."

"Yeah...I mean...Oh balls."

"C'mon Spike. What's the worst that could happen?"

Currently, Spike wasn't so sure, but by the look on Wren's face it was bound to be painful.

Wren herself was stood, smiling gleefully, just watching her two opponents. She wasn't in the least bit surprised that Angel had wanted back up on this one, or that Spike had agreed. She's heard the argument they'd had, but was fairly confident that Spike's curiosity would get in the way. After all, it was in a vampire's nature to test out the biggest threat, even if that threat happened to be on their side. After all, that's exactly what Angel was doing.

After a few minutes of simply sizing up the 'competition', Wren broke her combat-ready stance and addressed Angel.

"So are we going to stand around all day or was there something you wanted to do? 'Cause right now I'm pretty sure Spike's missing Passions."

"Bloody right I am. You'd better just prey I can catch the re-run Peaches, or it's going to be your ass on the chopping board. And it's not like I wanted to be here anyway. Bloke can't seem to go five minutes without getting his bits handed to him, but does anyone listen to me, not bloody likely. And another thing!"

"Shut UP Spike!" Angel interupted. Turning back to Wren he spoke again more levelly, "We're waiting Wren, just waiting."

"For what?" replied Wren, incredulous.

"For you. We're testing you here, remember. I want to see what you do."

"Well this is a pretty damn stupid way to do it then! All clinical and safe. Two mediocre opponents? It's a bloody insult! You want to see what I'm capable of, then let me do what I do. Find me a nest. A cult. A demon expo, SOMETHING!" by the end, she was almost begging.

"All in good time. Right now, I want you to fight us."

"I don't by the way."

"Shut up, Spike."

Wren began pacing up and down. Hands clenching with frustration.

"You want to see what I can do?"

"Yes."

"Right here, right now?"

"Yes."

She stopped, and met his stare dead on.

"Right then, but don't say I didn't give you fair warning," she paused and turned to Spike. "Sorry about this."

"'Bout wh-"

But before he could finish the sentence, Spike found himself flying through the air and crashing about 12 meters up the wall into the climbing bars, before falling back down to the ground, gasping for breath and with at least two broken ribs.

Wren was back standing in her original position, and it was only becasue of his vampire senses that Angel had seen her move at all.

The smile on Wren's face was one of gloating happiness, but the look in her eyes was pure demonic fury.

Again she looked at Angel, and he fought the urge not to look away from the intensity of her stare. Fortunately, over two centuries of being what went bump in the night had desesitized him slightly to the sort of looks he was getting from Wren, but it was a close thing.

"So," she said, a happy tone covering the seething agression withing, "do I pass?"

Angel paused for a moment before answering.

"Not even remotely," he answered levelly.

"WHAT!"

"You really think that's what fighting is about? Being the fastest and the strongest?"

"Uh...yeah?" the silent 'duh!' on the end showing that Wren was really adapting to Californian life.

Angel shook his head in disappointment. "And here I really thought you were special," he said, turning to walk away, a brave move considering how fast and angry Wren was, and just where had that anger come from anyway? Angel was curious to find out, and was pretty sure he knew how, although it was risky.

"Don't talk to me like that! Do you know what I am? What I'm capable of?" Wren said, becoming more and more hysterical.

Angel turned back to face her, an even expression on his face. "Why don't you show me?"

"But I JUST-"

"No!" Angel shouted, then continued more softly, "Not brute strength, any five minute old fledgling can do that. If I wanted someone to push Spike through a wall I'd go see Harmony."

"Hey, little credit here, mate," Said a now standing Spike, although slightly hunched and clutching his chest.

Angel continued, "I want to see this power that you keep talking about, the 'mystical warrior of prophecy', 'cause right now all I see is a petulant child who throws tantrums to get her way."

Wren's eyes flashed yellow, the first sign Angel had seen of her demon, but he kept his face impassive. 'Just a little more,' he thought.

"Show me," he said in a low tone. "Show me who destroyed the closest thing you had to a family."

At that Wren lost it, and literally flew across the distance between her and Angel, who just stood there, unmoving. For Spike it all seemed to go in slow motion. He was about to shout out, tell Angel to defend himself, but it was already all over.

There was Angel...but not the bloody pulp he had been expecting. Intead he had Wren pinned face down into the mat, thrashing wildly in an attempt to escape. Eyes glowing yellow and face in full vamp mode, growling loadly.

Angel gripped her wrists tightr behind her back, knowing if he gave even the slightest amount of room then she would break his hold. He leaned down by her ear and spoke in a low murmer.

"You feel that? That's your demon. It wants you. It wants all of you. And you can push it down as far as you like, but some day it will take you, if you let it. Because you can be as strong and as fast as you like, but without control, without real power, you've got nothing. You are nothing."

Wren had gone still. Not moving but breathing very hard, obviously trying to control the malstrom of emotions that threatened to consume her.

"Remember," Angel said, apparently speaking to Wren, but perhaps speaking to something deeper inside her...or possibly even himself, "Remember how I beat you just now. I may not be stronger, or faster than you, but I am more powerful than you could ever be...if you carry on doing this to yourself."

Wren took a sharp intake of breath at that, Angel's words finally breaking through the wild monster which had taken control of her.

"But things don't have to be like this. I can teach you to be more powerful that you ever imagined. If you'll let me. If you'll let me in."

Angel stood up at that, but Wren remained lying on the floor.

"Please, Wren. Let me do what I promised. Let me help you. Let me help you fight demons...even if they happen to be your own."

The world held it's breath, including the two vampires who didn't technically need to breathe. And then, Wren turned over and kneeled before Angel. Looking up at him, he finally saw the scared young girl he had thought he had seen the first day Wren had arrived. Even though it had all been a charrade, Angel had been sure there was something haunting this girl. The slayer, the vampire, both shone out through the eyes of a very fightened girl, eyes which had tears in them.

And then, to everyone's surprise, Wren started laughing. Not the twisted laugh of a monster gone mad, but the twinkling, almost hysterical laugh of someone who had been drowing and had finally seen the shore.

"Oh God," Wren said standing up, only to double over with laugter again, "Talk about your intense moments! Seriously do you guys get paid to write this stuff? It's better than television."

There were a few seconds of stunned silence from the men in the room, before Spike spoke.

"Yeah, which reminds me, I'm still missing Passions, so if you two are quite finished?"

This sent Wren into another fit of giggles, before she met Angel's eyes again. He was looking at her with a completely shell shocked expression, so she took pity on him.

Wren walked up to Angel and wrapped her arms around his waist, giving him a huge bear hug. After a few moments he laid his arms around her shoulders and pulled her to him, still too shocked for words.

"Oh bloody hell," Spike muttered, walking out of the training room.

Pulling back Wren placed a small kiss on Angel's cheek.

"Thank you," she said simply.

"For what?" Angel replied, moving up into monosyllabic words.

"For helping me get a little perspective. It's so easy to just let the demon take over sometime, you know?"

"Yeah," Angel smiled, "I know."

Wren smiled back, realising how obvious that was. "Yeah. But you'll help me, right. You'll help me get back in control?"

"Of course. It's why I'm here."

"No, I think why you're here is to run a law firm...which I seriously don't get. But it doesn't hurt to have a hobby, right?"

"So I've heard," said Angel, now smiling too.

"Good," pulling back Wren squeezed Angels hand, before giving him another deep look and turning to walk out of the training room.

Angel thought for a moment, then appeared to make a decision and called her back. "Wren,"

"Yeah?"

"What do you say to a quick patrol tonight?"

"Really? You mean it?" Said Wren, bouncing on her toes like a kid at Christmas.

"Sure. After what you did to Spike I'd say you deserved a reward."

"No problemo, boss! So will you be coming too?" she asked, smile fading slightly but remaining polite.

Angel walked up and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I trust you, Wren. You don't need me holding your hand when you patrol. I trust you, Wren, otherwise how will you ever trust yourself?"

Wren smiled again, pulling Angel in for another quick hug, before running back off to her room to change, leaving Angel behind praying to whatever God would listen to a souled vampire that he had made the right decision. 


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen - Talking the Talk

Wren casually flipped the stake in her right hand up in the air before catching it again in her left. She had been repeating the pattern for the last fourty minutes as, so far, no demon life had had the decency to come out and be killed by Slayer who was once again in active duty. Despite the fact she had yet to kill anything, it still felt good to be out walking the streets again.

She had dressed for the occasion, khaki combats and a tight black vest top, although a little military, was exactly the sort of bad-ass attitude look she needed to compliment her mood. Her low heeled boots made small clicking noises as she walked down the alley, sounding to any would-be attacker just like any unsuspecting co-ed, wandering the dark streets of LA at night. In short, perfect snacking material.

Wren, on the other hand, had very different ideas, and was beginning to get impatient from the lack of a fight, of any kind, at this point she would even take a completely useless opponent.

'Ooh!' she thought to herself gleefully, 'I could even do that thing where they think they're winning and then kick their ass at the last minute! I love that.'

As she rounded a corner in to an even darker and narrower alley, Wren reaslised that she may get her wish after all, as she was being followed by several vampires. She had to give it to them, they were being very covert. Not enough to stop her from hearing them, but certainly more-so than the usual blood lust type vampies.

'Seems like someone know's I'm here. How very interesting,' Wren thought. 'Let's see what they're made of shall we?'

Choosing her fighting ground carefully, as she had had it drilled into her many times as a child, Wren walked out into a slightly better lit and wider street, offering more potential for different combat techniques should the need arise.

'Not that it will, but there's no harm in being thorough.'

Smiling to herself in a confident manner, Wren stopped dead in her tracks. As she did, she heard the group of 'stealth-vamps' form up a few meters behind her. Turning around slowly Wren made a quick assesment of the situation.

Ten vamps, 'Not bad, but not enough,' she thought, slightly disappointed. One out front, 'Their leader,' and the rest scattered in varying adaptations of the threatening, knuckle-cracking pose. After a few seconds, lead vamp spoke, playing the stereotypical vampire baddie perfectly.

"Well boys, look what we have here!" he drawled, "A poor defensless little girlie. But wait," he gasped in mock horror, "Do my eyes decieve or is that a Slayer I see before me! Oh no! Horrors! How ever will I get out of this one?" Leader-vamp turned around to his 'buddies', biting his knuckles and speaking with a sarcastic tone. "Hmm," he said, turning back to Wren, "Wait a minute. Ten of us," he said, counting on his fingers, "One of you. GUess that means it's not your lucky night, sweetheart. Or maybe-"

"Are you done?" Wren interupted his 'scarey' speach with a blunt, irritated tone, "'Cause really, if this is going to carry on I'll go get a chair...and some popcorn."

"Oh no! The Slayer's being sarcastic at me! Whatever will I do?" This time leader-vamps input was accompanied by a series of thuggish chuckles from his back-up. "Guess I'll just have to give in now, won't I?"

"Actually I'd rather you didn't, tonight was just looking like it was about to become interesting," Wren said with a forced smile.

"Really, well then I'd hate to disappoint. Although, I know this is supposed to be the part where I send my guys after you one by one and watch them get picked off, or even better, where I tell them to let me take you on myself. But I think it's a lot better all round if we all attacked you at once, right?"

"How refreshing," Wren said dryly, as the group moved threateningly towards her.

The ten vamps fanned out so that Wren couldn't keep all of them in her sight at the same time. 'At least they're finally learning, Wren thought glibly, turning round to see the group circle around her.

Then, without any apparent signal from the head vamp, the pack decended, all leaping straight in to Wren's position.

The first few moments would have been extrememly confusing to an onlooker, as Wren seemed to disappear beneath the pile of vampires which covered her. For a few seconds nothing could be seen except for the few vamps on the outside of the group, trying to get in to the middle, arms and legs flailing everywhere. Then, with a startling suddeness, the group suddenly exploded outwards, vampires flying in all directions. One particularly unlucky one fell directly onto a wooden crate and dusted immediately.

'One down, nine to go.'

The fastest of the remaining vamps picked themselves up off the floor and ran straight back to where Wren was standing, stake in hand, but now they were split up and much easier targets.

The first to reach her got a fast double kick to the stomach and head, while the second was the victim of a spinning kick upon Wren's landing. Both flew off in opposite directions, momentarily stunned. A third and fourth tried their luck, one lucky kick knocking the stake out of Wren's hand, while a powerful punch did little more than turn her head slightly. Jumping backwards onto the wall behind her, Wren delivered a powerful flying kick to the back of the neck of the third vamp, taking it's head clean off. No sooner were both her feet on the floor was she spinning round and scything number four vamps legs out from under him. Retrieving another stake from her combats, Wren quickly dusted him from her position crouched on the floor.

She looked up just in time to see vamps five, six and their buddy seven lumbering towards her. She smiled humourlessly and sprung forwards, catching the first vamp with an arm at his throat, cruching his windpipe. Although it didn't kill him it certainly slowed him down, and allowed Wren time to flip back over to her dropped bag of weapons. Within seconds she was back on her feat, a mean looking broad sword held firmly in both hands. As two more demons came at her, fangs bared, Wren flung the sword round, 'Very stylish, if I do say so myself,' and jumped between her two adversaries. Both continued running for a short time, before events caught up with them and both dusted symultaneously, their heads cut off.

Now their were only two vamps left. The one with the crushed throat was grabbing at his neck and wheezing, even though he didn't need to breathe. The other was leader-vamp, who had retained a safe disatance throught the whole fight.

Picking her discarded stake up off the floor, Wren put the struggling vampire out of it's misery, but appeared not to see leader-vamp looming out of the shadows towards her. As he got withing striking distance, Wren's arm shot out, throwing the sword at an amazing speed, and pinning the vampire through the chest to the wall, which had been a good 15 feet behind him.

Sighing and brushing vampire dust off her top, Wren walked over to the struggling vampire. As she approached, he tried to form a cocky smile around his grimace of pain. "This won't kill me you know."

"Yeah, but it sure will sting like hell. And good luck trying to pull that sword out of three foot of solid concrete."

The vampire tried for a few more moments in his pointless struggle to pull the sword out by it's hilt. He stopped when Wren pushed the stake pointedly, but not painfully, right above his heart. Looking directly into his eyes and leaning in slightly, Wren spoke in a soft tone.

"Now, I'm not one for torture. After all, I'm one of the 'good guys'," Wren said with a slightly bitter tone. "But the way I see it, you have two choices. One, I can leave you pinned here for someone, or something to take pity on you...or more likely start snacking on your insides," Leader-vamp barely supressed the urge to gulp in fear, "Or, you can tell me what I want to know and I can make sure you go quick. What do you say?"

The vampire considered his options for a moment, before conceeding defeat. "What do you want to know?"

"Who sent you?"

"What?"

The stake was removed slightly from his chest.

"You heard me. Who sent you?"

"I don't know, really, please I don't know! Just please don't leave me here."

Wren shook her head ruefully. "Sorry, if you're just going to be difficult about it." She tucked the stake back in her pocket and walked away. The vampire began his struggles to remove the sword again.

Depending on your perspective, what happened next was wither very very fortnate, or very very unfortunate for him.

A combination of shoddy work and poor maintainence meant that the brickwork to which the vamp was pinned had started to crumble away. Although the sword was burried very deeply, the brick around it was being worn away by the vampire's constant struggles. So much so that, with one final effort, he actually managed to pull himself free.

Wren was completely oblivious to this, and was currently a few feet away, putting things back into her weapons back.

Slowly and silently, the vamp moved towards Wren's crouched form, raising the newly released sword above his head. He stepped closer and closer to Wren, who didn't notice his approach, so sure was she of his inability to free himself.

Now the vamp, a viscios snarl of triumph and revenge on his face, was within feet of his goal, and still Wren did not turn to intercept him. The vampire grinned wide and raised the sword high above his head, preparing to bring it down on the unsuspecting girl's neck. Just as he was about to strike, he paused, a strange sensation forming in his chest.

He grunted in confusion, finally getting Wren's attention, and she turned, stake raised, to see the vamp looming a few inches behind her, a puzzled expression on his face.

Wren's eyes went wide when she realised how close she had let him get, but her attention quickly drew to the fact he wasn't moving.

Then, time came back to the world, and the vampire exploded in a shower of dust. Standing and waving a hand in front of her to clear the air, Wren raised the stake and tried to seek out whoever had helped her.

"Angel, if you've come to keep an eye on me I swear I'm gonna-" she started, but stopped abruptly when she realised her shining knight certainly wasn't Angel...or Spike...or anyone from the fang gang. Instead, as her eyes widened in shock, she saw the last person she had ever expected to see again.

Stepping out of the shadows at the far end of the alley, the stranger spoke.

"Deary me, looks like you're letting yourself slip, Princess."

'No,' Wren thought, 'not him, not now!'

Standing at the end of the alley, casual smirk on his face and confident swagger in his step, was Seth.

-+-

An age seemed to pass, and still Wren could not bring herself to speak. Once again, Seth spoke up, stepping a few feet closer to Wren.

"What's wrong Wren?" Seth asked, mock concern in his voice, "Did you miss me?"

As Seth stepped closer Wren found her voice, "That's close enough!" she shouted, her eyes wide and breathing coming short and fast.

"What? No hello kiss for an old friend? Honestly Wren I thought the old man taught you better than that?"

Finally coming to her senses, Wren covered her surprise and growing fear with her usually cocky attitude.

"Sorry, but I don't make a habit of getting cozy with undead bottom feeders like you. I might catch something."

"Wach your mouth, child," said Seth, smile suddenly disappearing, replaced by a glare of cold fury, "or do I have to teach you some respect for your elders?"

Wren shrugged off handedly, "Meh, never was a fast learner, let's just skip the lesson and get straight to the part where I kick your ass shall we?"

"Hmm, so confident," Seth said, distain dripping off every word, "but I think we both know you won't fight me."

"Oh yeah? Well pretend I'm not in on this little fantasy of yours. Enlighten me."

"You won't fight me,"Seth repeated witha confident smirk, "because you know what happened last time...and you're scared."

This comment broke through Wren's calm exterior, showing the anger and rising aggression within. "Hate to break it to you, Seth," Wren bit out, hate clear in her tone, "But I seem to remember you were the one who ran of last time...and the tme beofre that..and the-"

"Shut up!" Seth broke her litany with a ferocious growl.

"Or what Seth?" said Wren, closing a few more feet between them, "what the hell are you going to do if I don't."

Seth stepped up to meet her, both standing with shoulders set firmly and barely holding down the urge to simply let fly with their fists. The ferocity was almost tangible in the air between them.

"Don't tempt me little girl."

"Why not? Are ya scared?" wren teased in a whining voice.

Seth's eyes flashed yellow, matched by a growl from Wren. Both stared at each other for a few seconds more, now only a few inches dividing them, so Seth did the only thing he could possibly do. Growling loudly he lashed out towards Wren...

And kissed her.

A/N: Oh come on, like you didn't see that coming! Giggles! More soon...got to do stupid exams first! raa! L 


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty - A Whole New You.

About three years ago, Oxfordshire

The ante-chamber of the Great Hall was lit by dozens of huge blood red candles, each dripping wax forming a huge pool on the floor. Wren stood in the middle of the room, dressed in a long black cloak and dark red dress specially created for the ceremony. She was facing the doors through which she would soon walk and meet her destiny.

Needless to say, she was a little aggitaded, and the clan members constantly buzzing around her, chanting ancient rites and covering her with annointing oils wasn't helping. She felt like lashing out at one, taking out her growing frustration on something which wasn't allowed to hit her back, but she resisted. Although she was only human...for the moment, she was still strong and fast enough to take on one of these lesser vampire minions by herself. As a human, however, she was able to restrain her more violent urges.

'But probably not for much longer,' Wren thought, a little apprehensively.

From behind her, she felt a movement in the air, as the outer doors of the room were opened. The minions around her drew back, bowing and scraping in respect and fear as the other figure entered the room. Wren's back stiffened just slightly, but her face remained impassive, as Seth came and stood at her left shoulder, leaning in to whisper menacingly in her ear.

"Guess time's up, Princess. You sure you're ready? You seem a little tense." Seth murmured, revulsion clear in his seemingly concerned words.

Wren remained facing forwards, seeming not to acknowlegde Seth's existance, a fact which thoughroughly infuriated him.

Seth's face screwed up in a more open show of disgust. "Just remember one thing, child, things don't always go the way you want them to," and then he was gone, storming into the Great Hall, a trail of simpering minions in his wake.

Wren let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, not allowing herself to dwell on the strangeness of Seth's words. She continued to mentally prepare herself for the life changing experience ahead of her, and steeled herself to the great power she was about to receive.

Great, now she was downright terrified.

-+-

Half an hour later, and the time had finally arrived. Wren was led into the Great Hall, cloak fanning out behind her and causing the candles around the room to flicker as she passed. At the very end of the room, was a raised platform where an altar had been set up. Around the room mystical symbols were painted on the floor and walls and the entire place was heavy and hot with the smoke from the candles.

Coming to stand at the foot of the altar, Wren felt one of her escorts reach round her neck and unclasp the cloak, letting it fall to the floor. The minions turned and left the room, closing the door behind them, as Wren took a step forward and kneedled in front of the only other two witnesses to this most powerful of ceremonies, her Master, and Seth.

The Master was dressed in a red ceremonial gown the same colour as Wren's dress, while Seth was dressed simply in a black silk shirt and black suit trousers, his head bowed and his dark hair falling to frame around his face. The candles lit him from behind, and for a moment Wren forgot that he was the cause of her life-long torment, so taken in was she by how stunning he looked.

The clothes he was wearing were so different from his usual understated look and defined his body perfectly, the low light in the room creating a mesmerising effect across his shirt. As he looked up her breath was almost taken away by the intensity of his eyes and she noticed for the first time how green and alive they were, apparently so innocent. Certainly a great contrast to his charater.

Seth stared at her intently for a moment that seemed to last a lot longer, both caught in the power of the atmosphere that surrounded them. Wren's attention was suddenly drawn back to where she was, when the Master placed his hand on her shoulders and began chanting in some archaic language.

Seth started about his assigned tasks, wafting incense around the room and repeating a few phrases the Master had spoken, his attention apparently everywhere but on Wren.

This continued for some time, Wren wasn't sure how long. The words the Master was speaking, combined with the smell of the incense and the heat of the room seemed to lull her into some kind of a trance, and the world seemed to spin around her. All conscious though had left her body when the Master began to speak in English.

"For here is the promised one!  
Chosen above all others!  
Exhalted! Powerfull Created of the Darkness and the Light!  
Let the Light wash over her but let her not be burned!  
Let my Darkness be joined with hers!

Wren could feel something beginning in the air around her. It seemed to move inwards and she could feel it in her whole body...

Let the ground tremble!

...No, not her body. She had two...two bodies, and they needed to be joined...they needed...

Yes...the time...it was...now...she needed...now...

Let her Rise!

Wren felt as though her whole body was being lifted from the ground, her body trembling and filling with an indescribable power.

Rise!

The Master, now in his vampire guise, knelt before Wren, baring her throat to him and crying out to the entire world.

Rise!  
RI - Aggghhhh!

Wren was too far gone to understand what was happening, but suddenly there was an enormous pain in the centre of her chest, like her heart had been ripped in two. Through barely conscious eyes she saw the Master fall to the ground, lifeless eyes turning to dust before her. Wren slumped forward, the pain of the unfinished ritual physically knocking her down, but was caught in the strong and unbreakable grasp of the vampire before her.

Seth, kneeling next to the sword he had just used to kill the Master, caught Wren and lifted her to her feet. Eyes glowing yellow he looked deeply into hers for an instant, convenying to her the certainty of what was about to happen.

Pushing her hair away from her neck, he whispered in her ear, almost seductively

"Rise..."

Before biting down savagely on her neck.

The pain in Wren's chest immediately diappeared, as she soared back to the height of her previous power surge. Something within her screamed out that this was wrong, but she was no longer in control of her body. Crying out from the pain in her neck and the overwhelming feeling consuming her, she bit down with human teeth on Seth's neck and drew her first blood.

-+-

Silence.

Complete and utter silence.

And darkness.

Lots of darkness.

Wren looked around the space surrounding her, not really comprehending what was happening.

She was pretty sure this wasn't real. She had meditated out of her physical body before, but nothing had ever felt as empty as this.

'Am I dead?'

Far from it, a voice returned, but whether it was out there...wherever that may be, or in her head, she wasn't sure.

'Great, Matrix quotes.'

'Where am I?'

You mean you really don't know?

'Maybe I don't want to know.'

You've always known

Always known...

About me...

'Who are you?'

Take a look for youself

Wren turned around, and there in front of her was a girl. A girl Wren recognised like her own reflection, becasue it was her reflection, at least, it should have been, but there was no mirror.

'So how...?'

Don't fight it, said the girl in a voice that Wren now recognised as her own.

'You're the Slayer.'

No, I'm you.

'I'm the Slayer?'

And so much more...come...come here.

Wren stepped trance-like towards the slayer-her and reached out to touch her outstretched hand. They touched and there was a great flash of light and Wren stumbled backwards. Just as she did, she felt something grab her from behind and throw her to the floor.

Gazing up Wren saw a creature with a deformed face, clearly a vampire.

'But...you...you're not me...you're...'

No, the creature growled, I'm something else...Princess, and violently bit down on Wren's neck.

Wren screamed in agony, but no sound came out, as she and the vampire were joined forever 


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One - Taking Life By the Horns.

Still somewhere in Oxfordshire

Waking up the first thing Wren remembered was the pain, and her hand immediately shot to her neck.

'No blood..well there's a plus but...'

Slowly, Wren became aware of a few things. Firstly she was no longer in the Great Hall, she was in the entrance hall of the house. Second, she was lying on the floor.

Standing up slowly, Wren took in the scene around her.

The house was shattered. Furniture, pictures, door and walls all completely destroyed, or overturned or hanging off their hinges. Turning around numbly, Wren tried to process what she was seeing.

Next, she glanced down at her own clothes. She was stil wearing the ceremonial dress, well, wearing might be the wrong word, as it was barely hanging on to her by a few threads, the reast was torn, tattered, covered in blood and dust...but not her own blood.

Wren wasn't sure how she knew it wasn't her blood, nor how she know without question that if she seached the rest of the house she would fone no other occpants. It was like she could sense everything all around her. Every displaced air molecule, every falling dust mote, everything...

But no vampires.

Then, images began to come back to her.

A room, candles, spinning, a man - no - two men, then one...then pain...so much pain...but then...blood

The memory of the blood in her mouth made her gag, but was quickly replaced by a strange...hunger...

Wren heard her stomach growl...but then realised that it wasn't her stomach. Moving shaky hands up to meet her face, she tentitivly felt the ridges across her forehead, the fangs in her mouth.

"The ritual!" Wren cried out, even though there was no one to hear. "But what..." putting her hand to her chest Wren felt what she had know was there wall along, her heartbeat.

'But...how?'

Too many questions floated around in Wren's head. She had to find the Master, or Edward, or...

'But no,' came a voice in her head, 'They're all dead now...and you know who killed them?'

"Me," Wren answered herself, voice dead with shock and disbelief, "I did, but how could I-"

'Wait,' she thought, 'Not me...Seth...Seth, he was the one that...'

Wren's eye's opened wide in shock. Seth. He had killed the Master. He had finished the ritual. He had...

'Wait, where did he go? Surely he muct have...'

Wren looked outside...daylight. He couldn't have left then...but if he wasn't here then...

'No,' Wren thought. "NO!" She repeated out load, shouting at some unseen spectator.

"I haven't killed him! I wouldn't! I couldn't! I-"

Collapsing to the floor, Wren held threw back her head and screamed. So many emotions working through her at once, she had no way to deal with them all. So much had happened, now the sudden emptiness she felt at the thought of losing Seth,

'My Sire,' her thoughts interrupted.

It was all too much for her. So instead she screamed, and screamed, until her throat was sore and nothing more came out than a shrill gasp. And then she cried, until her eyes burned and she couldn't stand the pain any more and passed out.

Darkness fell, and Wren's still body lay on the floor of the mansion. Almost lifeless. Mind unable to cope with anything remotely like living. So she drifted between worlds for days, just lying amid the carnage she had wrought.

On the morining of the fifth day, Wren's dead and lifeless eyes finally seemed to emerge from whatever place it was she had created for herself in an attempt to escape from the overwhelming pain of reality. She dragged herself up by sore and protesting muscles, and mindlessly shuffled down the hall to her room, discarding the remains of the dress as she walked.

Starting the shower running she stripped off the rest of her clothes and stepped in, mind apparently running in automatic after the catatonic state she had put herself in.

Standing under the hot spray, Wren finally began to come back to herself, limbs shaking despire the heat. Starting to feel nauseous Wren stepped out of the shower and moved towards the sink, splashing cold water on her face. She looked up.

There in the mirror, was a girl looking back at her, but Wren didn't recognise her. The face was still the same. Hair, same look...but the eyes, the eyes of the stranger in the mirror were not the one's of a brave but inexperienced, but of a warrior...a demon...A Slayer.

Wren stared at her reflection, a voice deep inside wondering exactly how it was possible for her to have one. A thought suddenly struck her and Wren closed her eyes and tried to concentrate.

She searched for something deep inside her mind, something new, something foreign, something...there!

She felt her face shift, the unusual movement of the bone and muscle once more making her feel queezy, but she managed to hold her composure. Taking a few deep breaths to steady herself, Wren cautiously opened her eyes and looked into the mirror.

'Well, there you are,' she thought to herself, as she looked at the vampire staring back at her.

-+-

Wren had spent a few educational hours in front of the mirror, closely watching and learning as she switched back and forth between human and vampire. Eventually, exhausted, she threw herself down on her bed for a dreamless, yet restful sleep.

-+-

She didn't wake until the next evening, already feeling much more rested. Not yet ready to face clearing the house, nor entering the Great Hall again, she set about dscovering exactly what her new body could do. If the destruction of the house was any clue, it was probably quite a lot.

Standing at the top of the large staircase at the front of the house, Wren closed her eyes and pulled up her reserves of courage, and lept the 20 feet from the top banister to the bottom.

Wren wasn't sure how she managed it with her eyes closed, but she seemed to sense the ground approaching nonetheless, and rolled gracefully when she hit the floor, coming to stand steadily on both feet.

'Huh, first test passed then,' she thought, 'Now for something a little more challenging.'

Wren made her way through the house towards her training room, carefully ignoring the blood splatters and scratch marks all over the walls and floors...and ceilings.

Standing in the centre of the room, Wren took another deep breath, before beding her knees and effortlessly leaping the 15 of so feet straight into the air to catch the high bar. Spinning herself around to build up speed, Wren flung herself across the room, landing on the top of the bar on the opposite wall, arms outreached and maintaining her balance perfectly. Spinning around on one foot, she pivoted through the air and caught the end of the bar with one hand, flinging herself towards the climbing bars. Catching the wall with one hand and a foot for balance, Wren moved sideways across the wall, hand over hand, her grip never faultering, until she reached the corner. Deciding she was bored of high flying antics, at least for the moment, Wren span gracefully to the floor, before performing a series of flips and cartwheels to where the weapons were displayed. Picking up an assortment pf throwing knives se idilly tossed two at the target on the far wall, the second splitting the first down the hilt. taking a third she threw it into the air, before deliveing a spinning kick to the knife as it fell and sending it flying into the centre of the target, bringing the whole arrangement of the wall with the force of the impact.

Casually walking over to the centre of the room, Wren looked around and studied the route she had just taken, finally glancing at the fallen entirely ruined target in front of her.

'That,' she thought calmly, 'was far too easy.'

A slow smile spread across her face, a flash of evil delight first finding its way into her eyes.

"And far too fun."

Smile still in place and a spring in her step, Wren exited the room, casually throwing a final knife behind her, which cut through the ropes holding up the training aparatus, possibly by accident, and brough the whole set of beams crashing to the floor, the noise blocking out the sound of Wren's gleeful laughter as she walked out to meet her new life head on. 


End file.
